A Minute More Than Nothing
by WinterVines
Summary: AU She knew what it was like to have nothing, she had been there before. Maybe this time, she would fight a little harder for something worthwhile to hang onto. HitsuMatsu. Welcome back to The Thirteenth Step, my friends.
1. Return To The Thirteenth Step

**A/N**: _Well, I'm back again. My poll result was tied, so I decided that eventually I'm going to do both a HitsuMatsu and a HitsuHina. Right now, the HitsuMatsu has presented me with a few more ideas, that and it was set up just a little bit better thanks to "The Name Of The Game." I will come out with a HitsuHina sometime in the future. I like both pairings on different days of the week._

_This is in the same realm as my other AU fic. I wanted a Universe, so here it is. There may also be more fics based on it eventually too. Tell me what you think about that. Anyway, this is not a Shunsui x Nanao, which is strange (believe me I know) but I figured that I needed to do other pairings I like too. Based on that, I don't know if I got the characters exactly right. You'll have to let me know if I screwed something up. That's bound to happen eventually. _

_This fic is special in a way. It's my tenth one, and this fic also puts me over 100,000 words...finally. Took me long enough. Any suggestions are highly welcome. I have an outlined plot already figured, but I like new ideas to help me along. You know the drill. Good, not good? Let me know. -KG_

_Oh, and I have another poll if anyone's interested. It'll prob be up for a while._

Disclaimer: Do we really need to do this anymore? I think it's pretty clear that this is in no way mine...except my plotline, of course.

**

* * *

****A Minute More Than Nothing**

Chapter One: Return To The Thirteenth Step

The Thirteenth Step's bustle was starting to give Toshiro Hitsugaya a headache. It's not that he hated celebrations, he rather enjoyed them sometimes, he just had a lot of things on his mind at the moment. He sighed deeply, bringing his hand up to rub his temples. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the drink in front of him as well as the noise around him. He didn't plan on engaging in much conversation, and he definitely wasn't going to drink whatever that was sitting before him.

He groaned quietly, hearing the conversation kick up a few notches. A laugh rang out, one that he could easily pick out in a crowd, the one of Rangiku Matsumoto. Sure, it was nice to know she was having a good time, but did she have to be so loud? He opened his eyes and sent a small glare in her direction, spotting her sitting by Shunsui and Nanao a little way down the bar. As if that would quiet her down. It never got her to practice when he wanted her too, so he didn't really expect it to work now, especially when she wasn't paying attention.

He supposed that he shouldn't be so sour during a celebration, but he really couldn't help it this time. On this Saturday, just about everyone had been surprised when Nanao had walked in with Shunsui's arm around her waist. Even he, who had watched their relationship with each other while they were at the bar, wouldn't have guessed at that. Apparently she was going to go work with him in the Brewery business and would be leaving here. That's how tonight, of all the possible nights, turned into somewhat of a celebration between the two.

It really wasn't his fault that he was sour today. There were just so many things for him to be thinking about right now, most leading to the massive work load that he would have to accomplish soon. One large event stood out in particular. Why did it have to be tonight? Of course, there was a show tonight. True, it was only about five, but getting Rangiku to do anything later was going to be a pain. He didn't really approve of her drinking this early when they still had work to do, but it's not like she listened anyway.

And why did he worry about her so much? Well, sometimes it puzzled him too. He found it extremely odd, back when Shunsui had made his first recent appearance in the club, that he felt the need to step in between him and Rangiku. It was almost like he was defending her before she could be insulted. He didn't really know why he did it, just that it seemed the right thing to do. Was he protecting a member of his team maybe? Nevertheless, that just added onto the list of things that had been bothering him lately.

Thinking of tonight's show, he was reminded of one of the other problems scratching around in his mind. Another member of his team, Momo Hinamori, was still missing in action. Sure, they knew that she was having conflicting wishes right now, but it worried him that she hadn't been to a show or practice in over a month. The last time she showed up was the beginning of June. He scowled a bit, creasing his forehead. Lately, she had expressed that she might want to join the entertainment roll over at Hueco Mundo.

The first time she said this, he blatantly asked her why.

Sosuke Aizen, the owner of this other club, was a man that Toshiro was not very fond of. The company he kept, the other two co-owners, Kaname Tousen and Gin Ichimaru, didn't help his prestige much. Toshiro knew first hand that the three didn't do things like everyone else. There had been some talk of dealing with the bad part of town, but he didn't get into it much.

Gin, he knew, had made a deep cut to Rangiku in the past relationship that they had. That fact alone (which he had learned from Nanao, and it was unintentional really), made him dislike the man. Rangiku may be a bit wild, but she didn't have an evil bone in her body, certainly not deserving what she got. He had also heard, probably on accident, that Kaname had a hand in getting Nanao fired from that club too. He found it ridiculous that anyone would want to fire someone as hardworking as her, but he just let that add to the reasons why Momo's dilemma was absurd.

Momo, however, was convinced that Aizen was nothing but a wonderful man, someone who had helped further her own talents, much to Toshiro's disdain. Sure, he was glad that she improved and was happy, but it stung just a little when she wouldn't ask the same thing of him.

He sighed again. He had known Momo since forever, them growing up in the same neighborhood and eventually working at the same place. It's not always easy in the city like this, but it's alright when you have someone to lean on. He didn't expect her to stay here forever, especially when he himself didn't think to, but he couldn't help but feel a little betrayed at the blind loyalty she put into a man that she hadn't known half as long.

Including Momo, there were five girls on his team at the club. Out of all of them, Rangiku was the best one. He couldn't deny that even if she didn't work all that hard (at least when he was around), she was as good as she claimed to be. That's why she was the lead. She didn't really know it, but the others looked up to her leadership. She directed as she would a class too. Without her everything fell apart. Maybe that was why he harped on her so much.

He wasn't sure exactly what kind of background Rangiku had, and that was odd for him. He was fairly confident that he could pick out talent when he saw it, and all the members of his team where picked especially for the things they could do. He usually paid good attention, but she was elusive to let on what she had accomplished in the past. He was hesitant to work with her at first, but after seeing her dance, his opinion changed.

You just couldn't beat refined talent.

He guessed that she had studied in most areas of dance. He knew that she had gone to some sort of school, he just didn't know which one. There was a slight air of mystery about her, but from what he could tell, she might have reason to act this way. Gin could probably be an example. He would agree that things were simpler if people knew less.

Orihime Inoue, another lively addition to the team, had studied some of the more modern forms of dance. This was particularly useful when putting on shows for the club. She usually had ideas of how to spice up their performances. Most times, she would join those out on the floor before and after a show as well. She once mentioned that she had also taken a few textile crafting classes, so she was also a big help in designing and picking out their flashy costumes.

Isane and Kiyone Kotetsu were found by an old acquaintance of Ukitake. They had started dancing together at a young age. They had taken various forms of gymnastics throughout the years as well as minimal amounts of ballet. Their advanced flexible moves uplifted their performances greatly. It wasn't that hard for the others to catch on either when the two decided to teach the rest some things.

He supposed that was also a reason he chose the people he did. There had been many auditions at first, but none really stood out they way his team did. It was a small blessing that they worked well together. He hadn't had to struggle with them so far, and he was grateful. They all seemed serious about their line of work, and he thought that maybe that's why they worked so well.

Well, he wouldn't have chosen them if they weren't good.

Momo was the last member of their close knit team, or what he thought was close knit. He had know her since forever, back in the orphanage where they grew up. He knew she had talent back then, and it would only be a matter of time before she expanded. Momo had studied a lot in ballet and had taken a few ballroom classes to further the graceful aura she presented when she performed. He had thought her serious too, but maybe they just didn't see things the same way anymore.

You can't stay locked in the past forever, after all.

Momo's sudden change is what troubled him the most at this point. With her they had five on the team. That was the number he needed. If he couldn't change her mind and give her a reason to stay with them, they might just be in trouble.

Sure, having four on a team was fine for shows here at the club, but they would need at least fiver for what he had planned. Just thinking about the looming event made him tingle with excitement. It was everyone's best shot for advancement, the greatest opportunity he could give them. He clenched his hands to avoid seeing them shake. It wasn't like he wore his emotions out on his sleeves, he preferred them locked away behind his stony façade.

Somehow though, even without Momo if need be, he would make this work out. He owed it to the girls if nothing else.

As he was lost in his thoughts, he didn't see the presence approaching him, planning on breaking his concentration.

He was all of a sudden aware of his body moving, and his head pressed against something soft. Ah. He knew that feeling. He managed to shove the mass off of him and looked up to find exactly the one he suspected, one Rangiku Matsumoto.

"Ne, Shiro, lighten up. This is a party!"

He scoffed. "Just because this happens to be a rare celebration, doesn't mean that you get out of doing work today." He smirked at her priceless expression. "As you already know, there is a show later on tonight. I expect you ready to go practice very shortly."

"But-"

"No buts. Consider yourself lucky that I'm letting you have _that_." He glared at the glass in her hand, full of sake. "Now go bother someone else while you still have time." He smirked. "Unless you'd like to go practice now?"

She didn't think twice about smiling sheepishly and turning back toward where her other friends were sitting. How she ever got good at dancing he'd never know. It was usually such a hassle getting her to do anything. Oh well. As long as she showed up and performed well, he supposed that he didn't care _that_ much.

He watched her return to her friends and join in on a conversation almost immediately. A social butterfly. Honestly, that woman would be comfortable in any type of situation. It was one of her strengths, he supposed.

He went back to staring at the drink in front of him. He didn't want to even know what kinds of things were in the pinkish mixture. He wasn't a big drinker, mainly because he saw the stupid things it did to people. Frowning at a bad memory, he took to glancing about the club instead.

Behind him, people were dancing away, unknowing of their own personal party up at the bar. He recognized one of Renji's mixes of "Be Good To Me" through the speakers. The lights were dancing around the moving masses, them oblivious to all the work that went into making such simple things. Shuuhei and Renji certainly did a good job at what they did too. It made him smile a little. After all, they were also part of his big plan. Hopefully things would go well for them too.

Feeling eyes upon him, he shifted his own back towards the bar. He met a smiling Ukitake looking at him. He was drying glasses, much like he was used to seeing Nanao and Nemu do. Jushiro finished washing and drying, then came over towards where Toshiro was seated.

"Good evening, Toshiro."

He nodded in reply. "Jushiro."

The older man smiled. "Would you mind doing me a favor tomorrow?"

Toshiro raised an eyebrow in response. "What do you need?"

"Well," He chuckled a bit nervously before he continued. "It seems that I have a few errands to run during the day tomorrow. I was supposed to be covering for Rukia, but I really need to get these things done. I know you don't like the bar so much, but I wanted to know if you would be willing to work a shift tomorrow afternoon."

He thought about it for a moment, taking in Jushiro's slight worried expression. True, he didn't like the effects of some of the things at the bar, but he considered the white-haired man a friend if nothing else. He had given Toshiro a chance, and that was something he would be eternally grateful for. Besides, this place was really a group effort. Everyone took their turn to help out.

"It won't be a problem."

Instantly the other man's expression brightened. "That's wonderful! You have my thanks."

He nodded. "Think nothing of it."

The taller man started to walk down the other end of the bar to some new customers when he looked back at the shorter one. "You know, if that sits there any longer, the ice is going to melt." He then turned back to his previous destination.

Toshiro glanced back at the bar, focusing on the drink that Jushiro had mentioned. The daiquiri was pinkish in color, the frost on the glass still there from when it was placed. Rangiku had gotten it for him. She claimed it matched his frigid personality. He scoffed again, but didn't take his eyes off the drink. Absently, he thought that it was the same color as the scarf she wore draped around her shoulders.

His thoughts strayed back to the problem at hand for a moment, but he shook his head to clear them away. It was just one drink.

Ah. To hell with it.

Picking it up, he sipped cautiously at first. If he would have been younger, he might have smiled brightly. He didn't know if she knew watermelon was his favorite, but he wasn't about to question it.

Further down the bar, piercing blue eyes crinkled to match a smile.

-End of Part One

* * *

A/N: _Yes, I am indeed in a chatty mood today so I'm going to share some more of my thoughts. I don't own "Be Good To Me" by Ashley Tisdale. It's not a bad song, and frankly, it was the first dancing type song I saw on my music player. Also, I'm not really sure if there's a watermelon Daiquiri or not, but at any rate, there is now. Okay, I'm done now. Let me know what you think. Ciao! -KG_


	2. A Bit Of Advice

_A/N: Yeah, here's some more. I stayed up til 6 a.m. writing, and this is what came out of it. I woke up at 1030 too, but I'm not that tired. Good, not good? Let me know. -KG_

_Oh, and my poll is still up on my profile, if you would be so kind to indulge._

* * *

Chapter Two: A Bit Of Advice

Toshiro pinched the bridge of his nose as he glanced about the back practice room. They had about an hour before the show began, so he wanted to get them loosened up before they went out there. There was no Momo, of course, so he decided that they would just stick to the four person routine they had worked out. That's not why he was aggravated though.

No, he had just struggled to get Rangiku to cooperate with him. The other three didn't have any problems when they knew it was time to go. Rangiku, however, was very reluctant to leave her best friend that was leaving in two days. He had been saved by Nanao though, when she promised to be there after the show was over so she could spend a little more time with her. Shunsui didn't seem to mind. He owed her for that one. After that, Rangiku finally relented to go to practice.

He had also asked Shuuhei and Renji to join them. This earned a few confused stares, but he didn't answer when Renji asked him why he needed them. He didn't want to have to say it twice.

Now, they just needed a little pep talk. He supposed now was a good a time as ever to tell them about his plan.

Since the Thirteenth Step wasn't extravagantly big, there were boxes stacked along the edges of the practice room, used as a temporary storage place. The floor was clear except for a small table near the corner where the four dancers currently sat. Toshiro was perched up on a wider box, one foot resting on a nearby smaller box. His arm was casually set on the propped knee, and he held a slightly bored gaze. By the looks of the twelve eyes on him, he knew he had their attention.

"All of you are serious about your dancing, aren't you?"

His tone was intense, like he often was. The performers seated cast puzzled looks between them. Why was he asking this? He should already know that they were. They all voiced this individually. From the corner of his eye, he thought that he saw Rangiku narrow her eyes a bit, as if in thought. Dismissing it, he continued.

"Does anyone know what's coming up in September?" It was mid July now. That only gave them a month and a half to work something out. It wasn't a lot of time, but they could do it. He already thought they were ready enough, they just needed to put something together.

Their silence was unnerving though. Toshiro ticked by a whole minute of nobody responding. If they didn't have any idea about this, were they really as serious as they claimed?

"It's the Pentastep Danceoff."

He closed his eyes for a minute and smiled a little. He knew that voice. Why did it not surprise him that Rangiku knew exactly what was on his mind. It was usually that way in practice anyway. He rarely had to tell her when he wanted her to do something different or improve a certain aspect of her performance. Usually just the slightest look or motion would do the trick. This was definitely a reason why she was the lead.

"Correct. On September 23rd, they hold the National Pentastep Danceoff Competition a short ways north. It's not far from here, actually."

There was another few moments of quiet before Orihime spoke up.

"Seriously!? That's the biggest event in team dancing. Everybody shows up to those!" She could not hide her excitement as it rolled off her in waves. The others seemed to brighten as well, he noticed, even Renji and Shuuhei. Well, it was good to see that he kept their interest.

"So, you think we have the right flair needed to compete." It was more of a statement than a question. He looked over at Rangiku, nodding to her. Maybe she did know him better than he thought, stony façade or not.

"Yes. Everyone here is talented enough to be noticed. There is approximately two months from next week to prepare." They had started to whisper excitedly at the thought.

"However," they quieted down once again at his slightly elevated tone. "This isn't going to be a picnic for anyone. This is the biggest opportunity that any of you have to move on to better things. Anybody who's everyone frequents these events. They only happen twice a year for a reason. This is your chance to get noticed." He knew that they would understand this. He didn't doubt that they all wanted to succeed.

"This is the sort of thing you have to want more than anything, and the only thing you won't do to get it is betray your own teammates."

They all had a pleasing look of determination in their eyes. He approved. "This is a team effort in it's entirety. If one thing is off between the chemistry of our performance in any way, it finds a consequence in another part also." They nodded in understanding.

"The whole show is actually deemed part of the competition also." He looked over to the two males in the room. "That means that music and lighting are critical also. I've already gotten the okay from Jushiro. We can start whenever we're able, the equipment is always free to use." The two tattooed men smirked, enjoying a challenge when they recognized it.

"I thought that five participants were required to compete." Isane had spoken up this time, after some thought. He nodded.

"So, does that mean Momo's going to dance with us? I thought she wasn't sure about staying here?" Kiyone took her turn as well, taking note to point out their most prominent problem.

"That…is going to be our biggest problem, I think."

Everyone solemnly nodded their heads in agreement. Then, they proceeded to stretch in preparation for the show. Shuuhei went out to the stage to get a better visual, and Renji walked back to the small sound room. Toshiro admired the new fire he saw in their eyes. Maybe this would work out after all.

--KG--

As Toshiro watched his team move to the beats of "Hot Stuff", he confirmed his earlier confidence that they were good enough to perform. They moved with an enhanced vigor now, like they had something to prove. The rhythm flowed out, and they flowed with it, confident, strong, exactly how they would need to be for the Pentastep. If he would've known they responded this positively to the news, he would've mentioned it a few months ago.

He watched as they all turned with a flick of their hair at the same time. Subconsciously, he zeroed in on Rangiku, red attire flashing. She was the soul of dance, judging by the way she so visibly embodied it. Her garment matched the fire he saw in their eyes. Her movements were graceful. Every aspect of her stood out. Everything was smooth, like she had been doing it her whole life. She danced like she had nothing left to lose and everything to gain. Toshiro was glad. He held a look of deep respect for the woman. It was that kind of passion that they would need in the upcoming competition. If they worked hard enough, even if they didn't necessarily win, they would be noticed. Things could only go up for them after that.

His mood was lighter now, he realized. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It was still going to be tough from their vantage point, but he was going to make it work. If Momo refused to dance with them, which she very well could, he knew that it was too late to recruit anyone new and expect them to be in synch with the others. He knew Momo also wanted to succeed, but he didn't know if this was the way she wanted to go about it anymore. She had always talked about it when they were younger, and a part of him wished they were still as close as they used to be.

Earlier on, everyone agreed that all of them would try to convince Momo to dance with them. None of them would force her if she really didn't want to, but if she was looking for prime opportunity, there it was. If she didn't want to though… He sighed. Things could get very difficult indeed.

_"Yare, Nanao-chan. Things will be a little rough at first. I can say that things aren't going exactly smooth with the industries these days, and you're going to be overwhelmed while you're finishing that last bit of schooling, but we'll get through it."_

_There was a small ebb in the flow of people that had surrounded them for the evening, and from over in his seat, Toshiro could make out their conversation. He said it with an adoration in his eyes, like he knew that everything would turn out all right in the end. Oh how he wished he could have that sort of confidence. _

_"Of course. Once my last two semesters are over I'll have more time to help straighten out the mess. Until then we'll just have to manage."_

_He smiled at her, and she returned the favor. "And of course your dear Shunsui will be here to make sure you don't overwork yourself…at least with working. There are other…more interesting things that would be much better to tire yourself on." _

_The twinkle in his eye resulted in a snort from the straight-laced woman beside him, and then she promptly hit him with her large book. Where it came from, he didn't know._

_It seemed that everyone took their turn of going through rough times. He had struggled to get just this far, and he wasn't about to give up now when they were so close. No, if he had to, he had another plan._

They would get through it.

--KG--

When Toshiro had come into the Thirteenth Step a little before ten this morning, it had been mostly quiet. Now, around noon, the environment hadn't changed that much. There were few people actually in the bar, and those that were had quietly grouped together in conversation. Needless to say, he was rather bored. You wouldn't be able to tell from his unchanging expression, but his eyes had that lazy quality about him. There was only so many glasses to wash, after all.

In consequence, he took to watching the people strewn about the bar with interest. How sometimes he wished his life was as simple as some of theirs. If he could ever have time to just sit and relax, he would be appreciative. Now that the Pentastep was underway, he was going to have to throw even more energy in coming up with a passable performance for them. This was especially true if Momo wasn't joining them.

He had tried to call her this morning, but he only met with her answering machine, as usual. Some days it felt like she was truly just ignoring him. Maybe she was for all he knew. Did she wish to distance herself from the past? He didn't like to think it, but it's not like he could stop her if she wanted to.

He frowned and shook the negative thoughts away. A determined look etched its way into his eyes. Something was going to work out if he could help it.

The door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a blinding light from the streets outside. Toshiro looked over, finding a man with a slight limp coming towards the bar. His dark hair conflicted against the white toothpick in his mouth as he made his way over. He sat down near the far end, taking time with every movement, like he had nothing better to do.

Toshiro suddenly found himself curious about this man. The look he had about him sparked his curiosity as he watched. He made no motion for Toshiro to come over, like others did, but he found himself getting nearer anyway.

"Can I do something for you, sir?" He was blunt, but that's how he came across all the time.

"Turn back time? If I'd a known then what I know now…" He offered a smile, but Toshiro noticed that it was strained.

"Something to drink?" He offered that instead, not liking the sullenness of this new conversation. Was there something troubling him to think this way?

"Nah. Gave up drinkin' a long time ago. I used ta drink Coke and whiskey, but not anymore." He rolled the toothpick around with his pointer and thumb.

"Why is that?" He didn't know why he wanted to know all of a sudden, but he thought that anything was better than his boredom or settling back on his own troubled thoughts.

"It stopped helpin'." Toshiro gave him a look encouraging him to go on as he pulled a stool closer and sat down. With a drawn out sigh, the man did. "At first it dulls everything. It allows ya ta forget whatever's bringin' ya down. Then, it stops workin' as well as it should. Then ya can't hide from it anymore."

A light laugh sounded from the other end of the bar. Toshiro looked up and was surprised to see Rangiku sharing a drink with some others he vaguely recognized. When had she came in?

"You can put up a fake face, but it all comes back ta haunt ya in the end. But at least it lets ya pretend for a little while."

Toshiro nodded absently, still watching the strawberry blonde from a distance. She didn't notice him looking at her, and he found that he liked it better that way. Her eyes weren't hidden this time. He looked into the unfocused blue, trying to find the things she kept hidden. Was she just pretending also? Was there really some sort of sadness behind a mask that she crafted herself? He found himself slightly interested. He supposed it was equally likely, now that he thought about it. She had gone through tough times too, as he understood it.

Did that mean that she was here before even he was? He had been watching the door intently ever since he got here, taking note of every customer that walked through. He had not seen her come in, and there was only one entrance. Was she practicing then? Somehow, things started to make a little more sense than they did an hour ago. So she was human like him after all, then. He had a new respect for her now. She really was as serious about her work as she portrayed.

He turned his attention back to the man just as he started to speak again. There was an odd glint in his eye, but Toshiro chose to ignore it.

"Ya know, if ya got me a Coke, I just might drink it." He followed up with a brief smile, and Toshiro obliged, setting the drink in front of him along with a glass of ice. He was a bit glad to see someone else who didn't indulge often.

"It's a sad thing really, watchin' them become absorbed in the past. Kinda like yer friend down there. It's not good for ya." He noticed the way Toshiro had stared at her, opening the can and pouring slowly. "But what do I know, I'm just old."

Toshiro snorted in response. "You're not old."

The older man smiled a bit. "Ya kinda remind me of my daughter. Ya listen." He removed the toothpick with one hand and took a sip of his drink with the other.

Toshiro stood up from his seat upon noticing some new arrivals approaching. The man thanked him, and he nodded in return, moving down the bar.

From the sounds of it, this man had many things in his life that he was unhappy about. What kinds of things was Rangiku unhappy about? He was slightly nonplussed that he all of a sudden wanted to know.

-End of Part Two

* * *

_A/N: I don't own "Hot Stuff" by Craig David, or Coke and whiskey for that matter. And although you don't read fanfiction, Wayne, this one is for you. Tell me what you think. -KG_


	3. Moves Like Water

_**--KG--**_

_Here I am again. I should really just start putting the note at the bottom only. I say the important stuff down there anyway. Oh well. I'll deal. _

_A change of perspective on this one. It's time that I let the other lead character have a say in things. Good, not good? Let me know. _

_Oh, and my poll is still up, if you please._

_**--KG--**_

* * *

Chapter Three: Moves Like Water

Two days later found the team practicing away, focused and intense. Renji and Shuuhei were working together a lot lately. Renji kept mixing different things together, resulting in needed a different light scheme every time. The girls still practiced for the shows, but right now all of them were more concerned in finding something worthy of the Pentastep.

Rangiku took a breather as she watched the rest do the same. Nanao had left early yesterday morning, and as much as the slightly older woman would miss her, she was happy for her best friend. She was finally getting everything that she had deserved for so long. From what she learned about Shunsui from Nanao as well as talking with him, she knew that he would make her beyond delighted. It was comforting. Some people deserved happy endings.

Rangiku was also pleased to see the others working so hard. She had been worried at first. How none of them thought to think of the Pentastep was beyond her. It was the competition of competitions. They had all been so hesitant. Did they not keep up with events? Well, she supposed that they all couldn't be like her. She had known about every competition, event, and contest ever since she had chosen to pursue this career.

She had wondered at first why Toshiro had never mentioned any of the previous ones. She thought maybe it was because he didn't think them good enough to participate, but that couldn't be true judging from the pleased and sated look on his features every time they performed well here. She knew that the two events didn't really compare, but in her opinion, she didn't think them half bad, and she had seen some pretty sad dancers.

Thinking further on the topic, she thought that maybe he just saved the best on purpose. Perhaps he wanted them to succeed at the best one to give them the best chance of going onward. There was really no doubt that's what this was. If you wanted to be noticed, that was the place to be. He must definitely think them good enough then. It appears that he wasn't just saying it.

She had no doubt that all the local teams would probably be there. _Hueco Mundo_ definitely, seeing that Halibel, their lead, was quite the entertainer. Worst case scenario for them, they could possibly have Momo too, if she was so bent on joining them. The thought darkened Rangiku's gaze immediately. From what she understood, Momo and Toshiro were supposed to be close. Why she wanted to abandon him now without a real reason was beyond her.

Well, she supposed, not all people you've known forever are good. She knew that one from experience.

The other locals would probably be around as well. Mod_ified Paradise _was known for their flashy performances, as well as the enthusiastic nature of their lead, Ririn. Claude was an excellent designer from what Rangiku could tell, and their shows never failed to disappoint. _Bounty Envisioned_ was also said to put up quite the competition. Jin Kariya was pretty popular on the other side of town. In addition to _Hollowed Souls_, they could definitely have something to worry about. It didn't really matter though, because if Rangiku was to succeed, she wanted it to be because she beat out the best.

They were certainly going to find out, that is, if they could find a fifth person.

Practice was called to an end by Toshiro, and Rangiku watched as everyone started to gather their things. There was no show today, and it was entering late afternoon. They had all gotten here earlier this morning, all with the blinding motivation they needed to participate in a more enthusiastic way than they had in a long time. Even Rangiku herself didn't protest much to the mood shift and got to work right away. She bet Toshiro was silently thanking some greater force for that. The thought made her smirk. It wasn't like he had enough to worry about already, and she didn't need to be another thorn in his side all the time.

The others began to file out, calling out 'goodbyes' and 'see you tomorrows.' Renji and Shuuhei were still in back somewhere, not satisfied with their work until they found a blend that worked the way they wanted to. A part of her wished that they would hurry up. It's not like they could form a routine to a song and lightshow that didn't exist. Depending on the tempo and certain key points in the melody, they could have to change the whole thing. She knew though, that you couldn't rush these things, so she willed herself to wait for them and just practiced what they had been going over. It was all pretty much basic by now, but technique was a key aspect of dancing too. Nothing made up for a sloppy performance.

Rangiku stretched her arms high above her, working out the few kinks that she acquired from her efforts. Brushing her hair back she picked her bag up and slung it over her shoulder. She was headed towards the door when Toshiro's voice called her back.

She stopped, turning to face him. He had a slight frown on, but that wasn't anything new. "What do you need?"

The crease between his eyes increased for a minute before he spoke. "We've had no luck with Momo. I don't think there's anything else we can do."

She nodded her head in agreement. Her and the girls all had the opportunity to talk to the bun-wearing dancer, but she just didn't seem interested. She had offered her congratulations about the great opportunity they were getting, but she declined their offer. Even after hearing that they really needed her in order to compete, she was unrelenting. It seemed that the battle may truly be lost.

Rangiku wondered how Toshiro was taking the whole thing. He didn't show anything on the outside, but she could imagine the raging storm behind those aquamarine eyes. What would they do now? Would they be forced to abandon their plan if they couldn't find a replacement? It was almost too late to try and train someone of the caliber needed for the Pentastep.

"So, what are we going to do now? We need at least one more dancer to be able to participate in the Pentastep. There's hardly enough time to find someone fresh, let alone get them ready."

He nodded. She was completely right, of course. There just wasn't time, and they needed someone now. He had a solution for this though, somewhat.

"I know, that's why I've decided…" He watched her closely to gauge her reaction. "..that I'm going to be dancing with you."

For the first few minutes, she sat there with a blank look. Sure, she figured that in order to become what he was, he had to know a little bit about actually doing the stuff he came up with. She had never seen him do anything but dictate though, so she was more than a little skeptical about his newfound solution to their problem. That may have been because they had known every move he talked about, but she felt that they might need something more if they wanted to succeed now.

She thought herself silly for thinking this too, but the way he said that last statement was strange. She knew that he meant dancing with all of them, but she couldn't help the tug on her heart and the way her stomach fluttered for a bit. For a minute, it sounded like the wanted to dance with just her. She shook her head clear. That was ridiculous though. Life wasn't meant to be _that_ easy.

"What?" If that didn't give away her shocked state, she didn't know what would.

"I wanted to know what you thought of it before I presented the idea to the rest." He seemed to understand her mild shock. "I haven't participated much thus far, but I can assure you that I'm more than able to be on par with the rest of you."

He sounded a bit prideful for a minute there, and Rangiku briefly thought that she could be wrong about her previous thoughts. Still, you couldn't always go on gut instinct alone. Until she saw some proof, she was going to have to be a bit disbelieving.

"Listen, I know you've been studying this for a long time," She treaded lightly, not wanting to make him angry. He noticed that she was moving her arms in accordance with her explanation. He rolled his eyes in response. "But dancing in theory and dancing in practice are two totally different-Ahh!"

Suddenly, one of her outstretched hands was grabbed, and she was pulled forward, causing her stuff to fall to the ground. Following the momentum as well as her dancing instinct, she immediately went into the mode. She was briefly spun around, her back to his front, before he spun her out again, falling into a familiar ballroom step.

It was basic, sure, but that's not what was surprising Rangiku. The thing that was making her brain turn rapidly in circles was the nonchalant way he was completing the steps. He circled, moving to melody only playing in the mind. She followed as she expected, not really being able to resist something that came so naturally to her. She was spun away and back again, and when he advanced, she had no choice but complete the steps backwards.

He moved like water, she realized. He flowed elegantly, naturally, soothingly. Just like as if he had been doing it all his life. Just like her. Maybe there was more to Toshiro Hitsugaya than she originally thought.

Once more she found herself traveling far and then near, ending the way they had began, with her facing away from him. His grip on her hand loosened, and she paused before she allowed it to fall to the ground. Breathing deeply and taking a step forward, there was only one thought on her mind.

_What the hell was that?_

She turned to face him, a triumphant smirk on his face. She was still breathing deeply, and he didn't appear winded at all. She glared slightly. It was only because he had surprised her, that's all. It had nothing to do with how he moved so…surely, like he knew exactly what he was doing. Likewise, the surprising was also the culprit behind her rapidly beating heart.

"Okay, so you've got some moves. I'm quite impressed, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you can participate _and_ design something for us to the best of your ability at the same time."

He looked deep in thought for a moment, and then turned his attention back to her. His eyes were very intense. "I hope that you're not starting to doubt me now. Must I prove my worth?" The question might not have been rhetorical, but she chose not to answer anyway. Right now, she was having a bit of trouble forming coherent sentences.

"Alright then. You're not doing anything tonight, are you?" She shook her head, albeit slightly dazed still. "Good. I'll pick you up at six. There's something I wanted to show you."

With that, he gave a slight wave over his shoulder as he strolled back out into the club. She sat there puzzled for a minute. What did she just agree to? Well, she supposed that she didn't really agree to anything, but she was going all the same. But where exactly was she going? Oh well. It wasn't much use thinking about it now. Whatever it was, it was probably important if Toshiro was sharing it. Her lips tilted upwards in a small smile.

Besides, she hadn't been on anything remotely close to a date in a long time.

**--KG--**

No matter what Rangiku went out for, she always made it a point to look decent. Waiting in her apartment, tonight wasn't any exception. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but if she had to guess, it was somewhere having to do with the odd half discussion, half dance they had earlier. He had mentioned something about proving his worth, so she decided to look nice all the same.

Blue was the scheme she settled on for tonight, and she didn't think the form-fitting dress looked half bad. It wasn't her favorite color, but someone once told her that it made her eyes stand out wonderfully. She could agree that pink sometimes clashed with the deep blue she wore, but she wasn't going to leave it behind her always present scarf either way. The only time she didn't wear it was when she performed. That was mostly because it clashed anyway.

Even with it, she still thought she looked pretty good. Like most women, she loved a good compliment. It would be interesting to see if she could get one out of the sour one known as Toshiro.

At five minutes to six there was a knock at her door. Looking through the peephole to confirm her visitor, she removed the chain lock and opened the door.

He looked…good. There wasn't really any other way to describe it.

Her breath hitched slightly at the sight of him. She mentally scolded herself. What was she, some blushing schoolgirl? Now that she thought about it, he really didn't look too much different than usual. Maybe it was just he principal of the matter. At any rate, his slightly open collared shirt did wonders for him. His dark attire accented his white hair quite nicely, if she did say so herself.

"You look nice, Rangiku."

She noticed his smile was genuine for once, and she was glad to see him more relaxed than he had been lately. She knew he was stressed with all the things going on lately.

"Well, you don't look half bad yourself." She could will herself to relax too. She wanted to enjoy whatever it was he had planned.

After a short conversation and a short taxi ride, she found herself standing in front of _El Narciso Misterioso_, a famous Hall used for plays, other shows, and the like. The owner, "Rose" Rojuro Otoribashi, had quite the artist's view of picking out talent. This was the kind of place that screamed for rich people to come indulge their selves. A place like this was very elegant but modern at the same time. The pearly marble surface left Rangiku staring in awe.

"But, Toshiro! How did you-this kind of place-"

"Don't worry about it." He looked over at her, then tugged her arm towards the entrance. She could really only be pulled along, still wondering how he managed to get into a place like this. They were always booked up. This was definitely going to be a time she remembered.

Now, if you can imagine how surprised she was at just getting into the place, you can imagine how surprised she was when he proceeded to lead her to some of the close up rows. Her eyes were still wide as she sank into her seat. She was just about to question Toshiro again when he shushed her, saying the show was starting soon. As if on cue, the lights dimmed down, and a dim light shined behind the curtain.

Instantly, her eyes were drawn to the stage. She heard the starting beats to "Ecstasy" come on, and the light began to brighten and change to blue. She could make out the figures of at ten dancers behind it. They were moving in a way much like a snake charmer would, and she couldn't help but place the familiar setting. This was much like the beginning of their "Tokyo Drift" routine.

The light changed green, and the curtains opened to reveal all ten female dancers in pale lavender costumes. They broke into five groups of two and started into a routine. Rangiku couldn't take her eyes off them. Some of their moves were unbelievable. Compared to here, the shows they did back at the club seemed elementary.

Toshiro looked at her with amused eyes. He leaned over slightly so he could whisper in her ear.

"Now, five of them are going to fall on the ground."

She looked over to him for a second before gluing her eyes back to the stage. They widened slightly when they did just that, elegantly folding themselves down like a silk ribbon. Finding amusement in her expression, he leaned over to do it again.

"Now they're going to flip over, and the partner that remained standing behind them is going to flip in front."

Again she was amazed as they did exactly as he said. It was an action that happened simultaneously. One went backward while one went forward, the latter doing a summersault in between the rolling legs of the dancer on the ground. The dancer on the ground rolled on their shoulder from a quick sitting position to land on their stomachs, 'v'-ing their legs in the air on the way down. From what she could tell of the audience, as well as her own opinion, it had the desired effect.

The rest of the show proceeded in a similar fashion. Occasionally he would point out exactly what they would do, and she would be just as amazed as the first time when they did exactly that. She thought maybe that he had seen this particular show before, but on the way out, she noticed that the signs all advertised that tonight's viewing was the premiere. Both consenting to walk back to her apartment, she decided to finally question him now that they had the time.

"Ne, Toshiro, how did you know what those dancers were going to do next?"

He grinned a bit when he looked at her, but let it drop when he spoke. "I designed it."

He answer was so quiet that Rangiku had to strain to hear it. When she did, however, she stopped in her tracks, falling behind from his side. He stopped a few paces away and turned back to look at her.

"What!? You _designed_ that? But, how- no way!"

He had a bored look on his face as he reached inside his coat and pulled out a folded letter. He walked the few paces back towards her and held it out. She took it hesitantly, being extra careful as she opened, as if it would explode or something.

He watched her scan the document, wanting to know her reaction. He didn't really know why, but all of a sudden her opinion mattered to him. He supposed that since Momo's sudden change of tastes, he just wanted someone to believe that he could really do what he said he could. He would never admit this, of course, but at least he recognized it for himself. If someone believed he could, then maybe it would give him the extra drive. Maybe then he could create miracles, or something close to it. He wanted to see them all succeed. He could hardly believe himself how much.

He already knew what she must be reading now, having read it many times. It was from the owner of _El Narciso Misterioso_ himself. He had indeed designed this particular show they came out with tonight, as well as a few small others. In it, he specifically said that Toshiro was welcome there anytime for helping them out. He couldn't help the prideful feeling he got when he read it. It was nice knowing you had a job well done.

Rangiku read through the document, then read through it again. She looked to the signature on the bottom and saw "Rose" signed with curvy, elegant strokes. She recognized the name of the owner right away. It was hard to believe that success was already so close to them. She almost couldn't believe it, almost. This was Toshiro Hitsugaya though, the slave driver and generally no-nonsense worker. Even as such, his skills were quite obvious. Of course this would be something he could do. She smiled.

"Well, I believe that we might stand a fighting chance, after all."

He returned her smirk. He didn't really need for her to say how much she enjoyed the show. The awe still shined in her eyes. He could almost see her envisioning them at the competition or future successes. He was glad to see that she wasn't hung up in the past, at least for the moment. He flashed back two days ago to the conversation he had with the man in the bar.

Yes, definitely glad.

Rangiku returned the letter to him, and they continued down the street. She was smiling, but it was more directed towards herself.

Wait until the girls heard about this tomorrow.

-End of Part Three

* * *

**_--KG--_**

_I still don't own "Tokyo Drift" by Teriyaki Boyz or "Ecstasy" by ATB. _

_I don't know that much about dancing, even though I love it, so forgive me if I totally messed something up. Feel free to bash if you must. The one last move thing where the two dancers ended up flipping at the same time was actually something one of my teammates came up with this year on our dance team. She was bored, so she had one person do a fish flop while she did a rolling summersault through their legs. It was actually kind of fun to watch. _

_The name of my Hall is in Spanish, just because I couldn't think of anything cool in English. El Narciso Misterioso is supposed to mean The Mysterious Daffodil. Don't laugh, really. I played on the Division flower again. Tenth's is the Daffodil, so I went with it. It's been a while since I had Spanish class, but I'm pretty sure I did it right, with the whole adjective comes after the noun, feminine, masculine thing. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong._

_Other than that, I don't have much else to say. I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think. Ciao! _

**_--KG--_**


	4. The Tango Of Life

_**--KG--**_

_Well here's the next part. I feel a bit bad for not updating a little sooner, but I'll work with what I've got. This one is a little longer I think, so hopefully that makes up for some. I want to do the transition into epic, because eventually I will have an epic multi-pairing fic, but it really is hard. Anyway, not much to say here this time around. _

_Good, not good? Let me know_

**_--KG--_**

* * *

Chapter Four: The Tango Of Life

* * *

When Toshiro strode into practice the next day, it wasn't hard to miss the wave of girlish babble that attacked his ears. He could tell that they were excited about something, if the octave of their voices was any indicator. It was either that or how they all seemed to cease in their actions at once as soon as they saw him.

"So, where's the fire?" He smirked a bit, looking at the group.

In the center of this babbling ring was none other than Rangiku. When he looked up to meet her blue gaze, she formed a sheepish smile from getting caught in the act. He was definitely sure that he was the honorable topic of their discussion now. The idea should bother him really, but right now he really couldn't bring himself to care much. In fact, he felt a bit of male pride well up at the situation. It was highly likely that she was sharing the story from last night. He could still tell how impressed she had become. Her eyes shone with something he hadn't seen on her before yesterday. It was slightly comforting, if he had to put a word on it. She had given him her consent, and he found that he was very pleased with it.

The streets were strangely quiet at this time of night. The street lights provided the adequate light that luminous signs did not, and the weather was pleasant for being July. The two had been silent for a long while, seeming to just be enjoying each other's company. It was more of a comfortable silence than an awkward one. Despite usually liking the peace that he never seemed to get, there was still a question on his mind. After listening to the echoing sounds of their shoes for another minute, he decided to go ahead and ask.

_"Is my experience to your satisfaction now?"_

_It was blunt and to the point, much like most of the things he said, but Rangiku couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that erupted from her. He quirked an eyebrow in response, causing her to laugh a little bit harder. When he started to frown, she finally was able to quell the urge. _

_"Ne, Toshiro, you always act as though you have something to prove."_

_"It's a bit hard not to." She thought that his answer was a bit bitter, but she chose to ignore it for the time being, seeing that he continued his explanation. _

_"I have studied dance for almost as long as you have, deterring a bit from it to partake on my current path. Just because I'm young, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing."_

_She almost pitied that wounded look that flashed through his eyes for a second. Before she could really decide such a thing though, it was gone. In reality, he wasn't that much younger than she was. Granted, he probably got a few more sneers in this particular branch of their realm than she did, but that was only slightly understandable. Starting out in anything was tough, and old coots who thought they knew better just because they had been there before didn't help. They should be offering their insight to those under them, not trying to drive them into the ground._

_There was no doubt in her mind that Toshiro was good at what he decided to do. To her, it seemed to fit his personality. He had that type of confidence and determination in him that allowed him to succeed. These days, something like that was rare. She was sure that he would thrive in every aspect of his life if he tried as hard as he seemed to now. After seeing what he had already accomplished, her belief was strengthened. _

_"Of course you know what you're doing." She was looking at him seriously, and she just noticed that they had stopped. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't." This seemed to placate him, as she watched the troubled look in his eyes dissipate just a bit. _

_He nodded, and she took it as an acceptance of her words._

_"At any rate though, it's still going to be tough, regardless if all of us are ready or not." She gave a small smile, and she was widely surprised when he returned the gesture, if only minutely. Maybe he wasn't a block of ice like many had said. "Still, I feel a bit better about it if you're the one leading us. The five of us will surely do just fine."_

_He nodded, that small upturn on his lips still in place. They continued onward then, feeling a little better than when the night began. She knew that he went through tough times just as she did, so she understood the need to have someone cheering you on. There were times in her life that she really did want to give up, but her friends' never ending support helped her pull through. If Momo was no longer going to be there for him, at least not in every aspect, then the rest would just have to take up the slack left behind. A part of her liked it better that way anyway._

_"If we can still get Momo to participate, I'd like to encourage it."_

_His words brought her out of her reminiscing thoughts. It was almost like he could read her mind. It was endearing and sad at the same time about how he still looked out for her. He wanted her to do well, especially if it could be under his care. She faintly wondered just what their relationship was about. On the outside it didn't look much more than old friends. Now she wondered if perhaps they had more than that. _

_She shook her head clear of those thoughts when she realized that he was expecting some sort of response from her. Getting back on track, she nodded before answering. _

_"We'll keep trying. I'll let the others know." Still, she couldn't help but think that maybe he was being a little foolish waiting around for her. From what information she had required so far, it didn't look like she was going to change her mind anytime soon. "There's something I've been wondering though, since this morning."_

_"Oh, what's that?" He looked over at her, a usual blank look on his face. Well, at least it was good to see him somewhat back to normal._

_"What happens to you if you don't compete with us? You'll get credit for design, I'm sure, but what about advancing your own career?"_

_He let the question hang in the air for a thoughtful moment before slowly answering her. He had thought of this before, but hadn't discussed it with anyone. He would have many more opportunities if he participated as well, so he wasn't too concerned about competing with them. In fact he was a little excited. Most 'coaches' in the league, for lack of a better word, chose to compete with the team they assembled. This was mostly well and good, but he didn't fail to notice how suddenly their own career became more important than the team that they promised to advance. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. _

_"Whatever the outcome is, I will manage." _

_The finality of the sentence made her hesitate to respond. In the end, she decided to just let it drop. He had been taking care of himself for some time now, so there really wasn't a need for her to be so concerned. At least that's what she told herself. It wasn't really her fault if she was worried about him. She supposed that particular subject could be brought up another time. At the rate they were going with Momo now, it wasn't likely to become an issue anyway. _

_That brought up another question that she pondered in her mind. If Momo did decide to join them, there wasn't anything saying that he couldn't dance as well. She knew though, that if they had enough people to qualify, that he would want to throw all of his efforts into designing something fitting for them. It was a bit honorable, if she had to describe it. It was nice to know that he wanted to put them above himself. It was unlike some of the previous people she had come to know._

_That thought left a bit of a frown on her face. She didn't want to be thinking of that now, of all the possible times. She would much rather think of such depressing things behind her own walls, where she wouldn't pique the interest of wandering eyes. Those were things that no one else needed to be aware of, unless you count sake as an acceptable companion. She was thrown out of her thoughts, however, as she found a smooth but cool hand clasping hers, holding her back._

_She held a nonplussed face when she turned back to look at their joined hands and them him. When she looked at him though, he looked ahead, and she couldn't help but follow his gaze. She saw the stairs that led to her apartment. There was no doubt in her mind that she would've ran straight into them if he hadn't stopped her. When did those get there? It seemed her thoughts were too good of a distraction these days._

_She gave him an apologetic glance and desperately tried to smother the embarrassed blush that wanted so badly to creep onto her face. It was strange, an outgoing and robust woman like herself rarely became embarrassed, especially with the low-key company she usually kept. The fact that he of all people could make her feel…inferior, in a sense, was odd. She sort of liked it. She was used to taking the lead in many things. It was a nice change to be able to trust in the guidance of others for just a little while. _

_Toshiro started to ascend the stairs, still holding her hand. She appreciated the help, stepping up and grabbing the railing with her free right hand. Her shoes really were killers, no matter how wonderful they looked. He led her the rest of the way up them, and continued down the hall. She was a bit disappointed when he released his grip on her, but she hid it well. There were more important things she needed to think about. _

_As they continued farther, Rangiku's door came into view. It was a deep shade of red, and Toshiro found that he really wasn't surprised. Everything about her reminded him of fire. She breathed life, and it certainly showed with her dancing. She was the essence of passion and spirit. Sometimes he wished that he had more of that for himself. At any rate, it was dampening to see her hide behind the sake she was so fond of. Certainly she must have her reasons, but he didn't like the way her eyes became dulled whenever she indulged. He like the spark better._

_The came to a slow stop before her door, and she turned to face him. She couldn't read his face well, like always, but she caught a bit of annoyed look on him, like he was thinking of something vexing. She hoped it wasn't about her. For some reason, she wanted him to think highly of her. To break that particular troubling look, she spoke up. _

_"I trust you already have some sort of plan then." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement. It didn't do well to ask questions you already knew the answer to anyway. _

_They had been silent for a while, but his clever mind picked right up on what she was talking about. They always seemed to understand each other without much trouble. That was very good, especially in this business. It was especially helpful when the other dancers didn't seem to understand what he was saying. Maybe now he would be more inclined to actually show them himself. The idea had a smugness quality to it, but it wasn't totally undesirable. _

_"I was thinking something…fiery for the Pentastep. What do you think?" Again that small quirk was on his face again. She found that she liked this look. She liked it a lot. She smiled back at him, vivid eyes dancing. _

"There's no fire, I'm just sharing the interesting fact that you've held a few tricks up your sleeves." She further accented her claim with a smirk.

"Well then," He waved his hand and walked over to the same boxes he had occupied the day before, setting his bag down on it. A small radio had been placed here this time. It was probably Orihime's. Shuuhei was still in the back room working, but Renji was out for a few days working at home, so they provided their own sound. There weren't any shows for a few days, and he already had a few mixes planned out. It didn't really take a genius to operate the sound system. Besides, Richiki was always more than happy to take over when Renji was absent. There was a rumor that he went into music to be more like the flaming, red-haired man.

"By all means continue. Don't let me be a deterrent." Toshiro proceeded to ignore them for a few minutes then, silently laughing at the silence that had fallen about the room.

"There's no need really." She watched as he turned around to face her, eyebrow raised. He replied with a questionable 'oh', and the grin on her face intensified. "You see, the girls here were quite impressed, but they don't exactly believe me. I think they want proof."

He mentally smirked at her response. Some days, it was just fun to go back and forth with her. The fact that she could hold her own just as well scored her extra points too.

"Good. That's exactly what I had in mind." Her own eyebrow raised as she heard him unzip the zipper on his bag. He grabbed a disk from it and after withdrawing the previous disk, adjusted the player a little louder. Rangiku picked up on the violin chords and piano notes right away. A familiar rhythm sounded, and her eyebrow went even higher.

It was now that she noticed how he had dressed today. It was certainly casual. In fact, he looked much like they did. Was he really planning on showing them? Well, it was all the better then. She had been really surprised yesterday when he pulled her so easily into step, but now that she had her bearings, she planned on ruffling his feathers a bit if she could.

He was wearing black sweatpants, somewhat similar to their own free-moving leggings. He was wearing a zippered sweatshirt though, and that wouldn't be very good to move in. Her eyes raked upwards noticing that it was a deep blue color, and that he was currently…unzipping it. Her eyes went wide for just a second, and judging from the gasp she heard somewhere to her left, she wasn't the only one who noticed.

He wasn't looking at them, but he sure made a point of removing his jacket very slowly. If she didn't know any better, she would bet that there was a smug look hidden in his hidden eyes. He casually removed it and bunched it up on top of his bag. It revealed an equally black tank top, and in Rangiku's opinion, it didn't leave much to the imagination. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He must practice just as much as she did. There wasn't any way that he could look like _that_ if he didn't. Needless to say, she approved. A dancer's physique indeed. From the sounds of it, the others agreed as well.

"You're familiar with the Tango aren't you, Rangiku?" She nodded as he got closer and got in position. She allowed herself a small smirk.

"Ha! I excelled at ballroom dancing in school."

"Good. So did I." He strengthened his frame and looked at the rest. They had cleared a space for them, moving from their previous spots around Rangiku. All eyes were glued to them. "Kiyone, stop staring. Everyone pay attention. Some of this might be what we incorporate into our routine for the Pentastep." The said girl closed her gaping mouth and straightened up quickly. She grew a little red from the rest's chuckles, but that died out as Rangiku spoke.

Rangiku smirked again. "I don't know, Toshiro. That trick yesterday was pretty neat, but are you sure you can keep up with me today? I mean, it must be a little tough seeing how you have to look up to me." She knew he was a little touchy on that subject, but she was in such a good mood today that she wasn't going to let anything bring her down. He knew she was just kidding anyway.

He didn't repress the urge he had to roll his eyes. After doing so, he gave her a pointed look. "Oh please, I'm only half a head shorter than you. It wouldn't even be that bad if you weren't wearing those ridiculously high shoes either. Besides," He smirked a bit again. "I think I had an awing enough effect on you yesterday."

Rangiku couldn't help but feel her stomach flip at his words. It certainly sounded like an innuendo, and if she hadn't told the girls what had happened previously, she was sure that they would've taken it like that. She didn't have much time to dwell on it though, for Toshiro went right into a Tango step. She moved in synch with him, remembering the steps from a few years ago. It had been a while since she really tried it, but it was a bit like riding a bike. It wasn't too hard with someone that was fully capable of leading either.

She found that he was more than an adequate ballroom dancer. He was just as quick on his feet as her, and he twisted and turned in all the ways he was supposed to. She never had to look away from his eyes as they swept across the floor. She figured that he might've been right about the shoes, but at any rate their wasn't that much difference between them really.

She was dipped low, and when she was brought back up they lingered for a moment, motionless. Then, they were off and moving again, circling and stopping dramatically for emphasis. She was tugged closer from their open embrace into a close one, and she didn't fail to notice how they moved more elegantly that way. He led, she followed, and she lost sight of pretty much everything else as she did so. It wasn't until the song faded and they were in an ending pose that she noticed there were other people in the room.

It was strange, this feeling that she had. It was euphoric, or something similar to it. She was smiling slightly, and she noticed that he was too, even though it was probably from a totally different reason than hers. The others looked impressed, and she found that she was pleased with that as well. Things were definitely looking up. She still couldn't get over this newer feeling though. It was one she recognized, if only barely.

She hadn't felt like this in a very long time.

It may have been a bit petty for her to do so, but she wanted this feeling to last. It had a rough landing last time, but she hoped this time could possibly be different. That is, if there was even a 'this time'. She dismissed the thought though as the others started to form out some possible conjoining moves. Joining them, practice seemed to go by much faster.

It was the nearing the end of the day now, and everyone started to go gather up their things. Rangiku turned towards the door, thinking she had heard a noise. Her eyes locked onto the figure that came through the entrance to the room soon after.

"Shiro!"

The snowy-haired man's eyebrow twitched. A part of him would always be able to recognize that voice anywhere. He turned slowly towards the entrance and fixed his eyes upon the source of his never-ending annoyance. The bun-wearing girl smiled at them, waving a bit.

Momo Hinamori.

-End of Part Four

* * *

**_--KG--_**

_So, if I messed up some Tango stuff really bad, please let me know. For as much as I like it, I certainly don't know that much about it. I don't want to offend anyone that does. _

_On another note, it came to mind that I'm realy impressed that peopel can dance in high-heeled shoes. Seriously, I think I would break my ankles. I've seen some bits that hint that they also wear these while practicing, but I'm not entirely sure. I guess it makes sense because they've got to get used to it sometime, but if this is incorrect, again, please let me know._

_Tell me what you think of it. Ciao!_

**_--KG--_**


	5. Inside The Mind

**_--KG--_**

_Yeah, I know I took a long time, but I was...alright so I don't have a good excuse besides not having the inspiration to do so. This one's a little longer, even though I know it doesn't really make up for it. I'm just really beat right now after working many days in a row. Maybe tomorrow on my day off I'll be able to update again. I shall see. Anyway, this is my first attempt at writing Momo. If it crashes and burns and is terribly off, please let me know._

_Okay, same old, same old. Good, not good? Let me know._

**_--KG--_**

* * *

Chapter Five: Inside the Mind

* * *

"Hey, Momo!"

Despite the workout Rangiku had just endured, she was still filled to the brim with an undying energy flowing through her, much like the liquid fire that Toshiro was often jealous of. Even if some part of her was broken on the inside, she rarely let it show, especially to those she considered friends.

The bun-clad girl laughed with her as the taller woman rushed over to her, getting engulfed in a crushing hug straight away, even attempting to return it slightly. Toshiro shook his head a bit before walking over towards them in a normal fashion. It was a bit nice seeing that their friendship wasn't strained by what was happening between all of them lately. He had talked to the girl himself a few times, but he hadn't really noticed any changes. A part of him was glad. The other part…wasn't sure what to make of it.

The others had taken note of the girl's arrival, but other than sharing a smile and a wave, did nothing but continue on with what they were doing. He took his time approaching, but they took little notice of him. The two were chatting away by the time he got to them, and frankly he had no idea what they were talking about. It seemed that their mouths were moving too fast for him to compute anything useful. It was probably all girl-talk anyway. Clearly something he wasn't interested in.

Getting the impression that they didn't have much intention of stopping any time soon, he cleared his throat slightly, gaining the attention of two sets of eyes. "Hello, Momo."

She smiled in response before going into the next realm of discussion. "Rangiku's been telling me of your dancing idea, but I didn't really think that you were going to do it. It's been so long since I've seen you dance!"

He frowned at the thought, but couldn't really hold it for long seeing the way Momo looked. The glee in her eyes was hard to miss. It looked like she was genuinely happy. Toshiro frowned a bit inwardly. Did she no longer feel any pull to them whatsoever? Were there no more bonds tying them together? He was glad that she seemed to be in a good mood though. When the whole conflict began, she was overcome with woe on what her decision should be. If her new choice made her happy, then he guessed he could live with it.

"I remember back at the shelter when I used to teach you how to dance. Oh, Rangiku, you should've seen it. He was so funny! And whenever he messed up he had this cute little pout!" She had a reminiscent look in her eye, and Rangiku couldn't help but to smile along. Besides, it was fun trying to imagine Toshiro pouting.

"I was not cute." He grumbled for a minute, frown increasing, then mumbled something else that sounded like 'it's not like you were that good yourself', or so Rangiku thought. She chuckled inwardly. It was fun watching them. She had to disagree with his statement though, if only slightly.

"What was that, Shiro-chan?" The smaller girl's attention caught on to whatever she had heard him mumble.

"Nothing." He twitched. Well, it could get worse than 'Shiro' after all. "And I thought I told you to stop calling me that, Bed-wetter." He added it as an afterthought, smirking at how she got defensive right away. The look on her face was pretty much priceless.

"I am not!" That was not really something she liked to remember about the past. They had their bouts of teasing each other, and it was unfortunate for her that he found out one of her bad habits when young.

"That's not how I remember it." His smirked increased. Her face was getting red.

"Oh, you-"

"Now, now _children_, no fighting." Both of them stilled and straightened up at Rangiku's comment. This just caused the taller woman to burst out laughing, much to the white-haired man's disdain.

After realizing that she might indeed go on forever like that, he decided to attempt to stop her. "Oi, it's not that funny!"

"Oh, but it is! You should've seen your faces!" Covering her mouth to help stifle the laughter, she straightened up and took a deep, calming breath. Still smiling brightly, she thought it necessary to exit the scene now. They probably had much to catch up on, and as much as she didn't want to leave, she figured she might as well.

"You two probably have a lot to talk about now, so I'll just be-" She started to back away with her statement but was abruptly stopped as she felt two halting clutches, one on each arm. Looking down, she found that both Momo and Toshiro had tried to prevent her departure.

Arching a brow, she gave them both a puzzling look. What was this? Could this possibly mean that they had grown farther apart than she thought? They seemed just fine a minute ago, reverting to behaviors from their past. She always thought those friendly and endearing, something that would always smooth out the rigid lines between them. Maybe they were both more uncomfortable with each other now than they both let on.

Toshiro didn't want either of them to get the wrong idea for his actions. It was true that he didn't particularly want to be alone with Momo right now, but at the moment he had this prevailing recurring thought in his head that kept saying he didn't want Rangiku to leave for some reason. He wasn't exactly sure where or how this thought came out, only that it was now there, and that it wouldn't leave him alone. Oh well. Must be nerves. He hadn't really had a solid conversation with Momo in a long time now. Wanting to set them straight, he came up with the most unsuspicious explanation he could muster.

"No need, Rangiku. I'll probably have more time to talk to Momo later. I should really go talk to Orihime about new costumes for the Pentastep, at any rate." He released the grip on her arm and backed away from the group a few steps. "She's going to be leaving soon, and it would be wise to get her opinions as soon as possible. We don't know how busy her designer is. Anyway, don't you two have some catching up to do?"

He left it as that when he turned away, leaving the two sets of eyes to trail questionable after him. It certainly seemed that he was in a bit of a hurry to get out of there. Momo wasn't the least bit offended because she had been slightly nervous herself. She knew that her recent decisions had wounded a part of Toshiro a little bit, but she, like the rest, knew he wasn't going to show it even if it bothered him. The others couldn't tell the difference though. They couldn't tell when he was hiding it. There only seemed to be two people in the world that could do that (minus the little old lady at the orphanage), and that was Rangiku and her.

She brought her gaze back up to the taller woman, letting her own grip fall off in the process. She offered a smile, though slightly strained for the circumstance, and the other returned it. They heard a squeal of delight from across the room, and both turning to look, saw Toshiro over by Orihime. Apparently he had presented his 'fiery' idea, and the bubbly woman was in agreement, if the hand clasping and excited look in her eyes were any indicators. Her mystery designer always had great garments to offer them, and this time would probably be the same, if not more spectacular than the rest.

Isane and Kiyone slid past the two, offering them a smile and a wave on the way out. The two in discussion, the capturer and the captured, did the same. It was good to see them all in good spirits, Momo decided. She didn't want to be the only one happy with the new setting. She hoped that they did well at the competition. Looking back towards where the remaining occupants of the room were stationed, her eyes crinkled a little in happiness seeing Orihime's expression.

"Well, she sure looks excited."

Momo was the first to break the silence that had consumed them since Toshiro's departure. Rangiku was feeling a little better now. It appeared that Momo hadn't changed that much, at least not in her treatment of everyone. She supposed that was what she feared the most at the time of her career-changing decision. She didn't want her to turn her back on them, especially to her childhood friend. Maybe she didn't have anything to worry about though. Everything seemed okay now. She was sure that Momo still considered them all good friends.

"I think we all are, although she does tend to rub off on us a little more each day." She laughed a little bit, knowing it to be true. Her glee was contagious sometimes. Rangiku hoped that maybe a little bit extra would rub off on Toshiro. He needed it more than most lately.

"Hey, Rangiku. Are you busy now?" The questioned shook her head in response. "Do you want to go get a latte or something? I'd really like to talk to you some more."

Rangiku nodded her head in confirmation. It really had been a long time since she had a good talk with the shorter girl. Besides, a double chocolate crème sounded really good at the moment.

They chatted a bit more about trivial things, and they were still there when Orihime had said her goodbyes. Some flashing lights were visible from the back room, signifying that Shuuhei probably wouldn't be done experimenting until well after they left. Toshiro had left right after, saying that he had some things to do. As he went out the door, he turned back to look at them, although the way Rangiku's senses were tingling, she thought that maybe he was only looking at her. In her opinion, if she didn't know any better, she would say that his stare lasted a little longer than necessary. It made her shiver unconsciously.

With the decision to go to a nearby coffee shop, Rangiku gathered up the rest of her things while Momo waited patiently by the door. She swung her bag over her shoulder and headed towards her, when the door suddenly opened. A surprised looking Isane was there, and if the widening of her eyes told anything, she seemed surprised that they were still there.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't know that…I was just…Oh, I've got to go!"

Rangiku felt a bit bad for the flustered girl. She hardly ever lost her nerve, unless of course they brought up _that_ topic. Both of them were wondering what that display was all about. She didn't forget anything because she didn't retrieve anything from the room. Did that mean…? Rangiku looked over towards the back room, lights still dancing off the walls in bursts of color. She turned towards Momo and shrugged before the shorter girl commented.

"Well that was weird."

Rangiku couldn't agree more.

--KG--

The little coffee shop down a few streets was pleasant enough, Rangiku mused, as she looked out the window into the streets. Her drink was warm, and the mug felt good against her hands. Nanao was right about this place, it was pretty nice. It wasn't very crowded, and she thought that the way the young waiter flustered and stuttered was kind of cute. Remembering Nanao's story from when her and Shunsui had occupied this place, she came up with his name. Hanataro was a bit surprised upon being addressed by name, but Rangiku clarified that she was a friend of Nanao, and he seemed to settle a bit.

Momo had dismissed herself to the restroom a few minutes ago, leaving Rangiku alone. She glanced out the window again, looking beyond herself in the glass. There were some people on the street, but she didn't recognize anyone. She did notice the sad state of their attire though. Unfocusing for a moment, she found herself looking back at her own image, being able to recall exactly what it felt like in those shoes.

Oh, and how long ago it wasn't.

She had come a long way from being there to here. She remember exactly how she loathed the situation she was in. She had started out with nothing, so by the time she was able to improve her life, she was already used to it. That didn't mean she was content though. People in that state hardly are. No, she wanted better for herself because she knew she could get it if she tried hard enough. She put all her energy into the one thing she knew she could do and look where it got her. She was a lot better off now.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen to those that couldn't, or worse yet, wouldn't try. There had been some that didn't, she knew, and they all ended up in the same place. They were stagnant, destined to dwell nowhere but in their own muck. She couldn't give up like that. She was very glad she was here now.

She sighed, hoping that the exquisite taste of her drink would take her woes away. She didn't come here to start feeling depressed. She could always do that later. Right now, she should be thinking of interacting with her friends. Speaking of them, she looked up as Momo drew near. They shared smiles as she pulled out her chair and sat down, reaching for her own steaming mug.

Rangiku found out a little earlier today that the reason for Momo's long period of absence was due to some extra lessons she decided to pick up. They had been at the last minute and were also out of town. She hadn't gotten back until a week ago, and that's why she hadn't been around much. She could've called at least though, Rangiku thought. For a while all of them thought she had just up and dropped them.

They talked for a bit before deciding that late afternoon was going to turn into night very soon. They stood and left a tip at the counter, making sure to wave to Hanataro on the way out. He stammered back a farewell, if only barely. His face looked much like the neon red sign of the shop itself. That made both of them burst out laughing as they took their time down the road back to Rangiku's apartment.

It was still early, but sunset was always faster in the cities. It had no time to slowly sink behind the horizon here. That pleasure was only made for rural dwellers, not for those on the street. Already the sun was behind some of the tall structures, and only the painted orange glow was visible in the sky. In an hour or so it would be complete darkness, save for the lit up signs and advertisements.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Momo spoke up. "You know, I always thought that Toshiro would dance with you if he had to."

"Oh, and why is that?" It was easy to lose yourself in the delightful July weather, but this had piqued Rangiku's interest.

The smaller girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, it just seemed fitting. He was always pretty good at it. I wondered why he never participated before now, but I suppose it was because he wanted what was best for all of us first. He should have an equal chance at going on."

Rangiku nodded and became thoughtful for a moment. It was true that he always threw himself into his work and didn't leave much time for himself. She commended his good intentions, but she knew for a fact that if he kept doing things for the benefit of others, he might not ever achieve what he wanted for himself. If you never fought for what you desired, it might always stay just beyond your reach.

"He probably only decided that as a last resort. None of us had any ideas, and it was much too late to try and train someone new. We would've had to forgo the competition this year. I know he didn't want that. None of us did once we knew we could actually stand a chance. Some of us have been in the business too long and haven't gotten much further than square one."

Momo agreed with that one. She knew others that had been displeased with her dancing path. They claimed nothing ever came out of it. She really didn't understand what was so bad as long as it made you happy. Other's hadn't been as lucky as she had lately. She had been given a wonderful option, and she knew that she made the right decision in going to work with Aizen's group in _Hueco Mundo_.

"Well he's right then. You do stand a chance. You seem to be getting along so much better now." She smiled and walked with a slight spring in her step. Rangiku took the opportunity to question this though.

"Oh? And how is that?"

Momo turned back to smile at her, a little awkwardly. "Well, you don't seem to argue as much anymore. I remember when he used to have to fight you tooth and nail to get you away from the bar and practicing with everyone." Okay, so Rangiku remembered that. It was true that they got along better now, and she didn't argue when it was time to practice. She couldn't help thinking that it was mostly due to Momo receding from the group.

"Now you work together almost perfectly. It had been a while since I've seen him dance, but with you he makes it look so easy. It's like watching the sunset."

Rangiku quirked an eyebrow and looked at the girl strangely. Just how was them dancing like the sunset? Momo seemed to pick up on this, so she elaborated.

"Well, the sun starts out setting slow, taking its time to disappear. When it gets close there's an explosion of color, and everyone gasps in awe at the sight of it. Then it makes a sweeping finish, making all breathless at the sight. Your dancing is a lot like that. It lingers for as long as possible but is still beautiful in its wake. You and Toshiro look good together. It's natural."

Rangiku was left speechless for a moment. Is that really how she viewed it? Sure, she had only seen a few minutes of it, but if she got an impression like that…she didn't really know what to think. She would agree about the natural part, it just felt right for some reason. But beautiful? That she wasn't so sure of. She'd like to think so though.

It was now that Rangiku was reminded just how great a person like Momo Hinamori was. She genuinely cared, although some of the things she did didn't make any sense. How Toshiro could live the dull live he did without her own bursts of colors she didn't really know. Then, she pictured herself and Toshiro dancing. This time, however, it was Momo there instead. In her mind that would've worked perfectly too. Did Momo not see that, or was their relationship just not headed in that direction at one time?

She was fairly good at reading people, so when Toshiro spaced out and had that distant look in his eyes, she knew he was thinking about Momo.

It was then and there she discovered that Momo had a spot that nobody else could ever take. She was glad that the sweet girl next to her had such a place, but she couldn't stop the ache from emerging when she remembered that once she used to have a place like that too.

Momo was still brightly smiling beside her as they walked, perfectly unaware of Rangiku's internal curtain of gloom. It was a good thing that she never let her troubles out on others, she figured. It was just easier that way.

"He's going to miss you, you know." It was true that now they would see less of Momo than what they did before. She knew that they would both take it pretty hard at first.

She smiled softly. "But not as much as he'd miss you." She paused for a moment. "Even I can see that."

The taller woman laughed hesitantly, rubbing the back of her head, blissfully unaware that she had broken out in a cherry red blush. "Oh don't be silly, Momo." Still, she couldn't really ignore the flutter she felt when she imagined her words _were _true.

If only.

They continued on to Rangiku's apartment shortly after, leaving her to her own troubling thoughts.

--KG--

Toshiro sat at his desk with a slight frown on his face, causing his forehead to crease. His pen tapped irritably against the surface as he rubbed his temples with his free hand. It didn't help that he had numerous forms he needed to fill out very shortly. Almost all of them had to do with the Pentastep too.

There were entry forms and many other things that needed to be filled out before they were allowed to participate. They weren't due until a few weeks from now, but with everything else that he was going to have to focus on, he wouldn't have much time any other day. There were medical forms for each participant, ensuring that they were all up to date in health and allowed to perform. Then there was the contracts for following rules and such, making sure that they didn't use any illegal moves during any routine they were doing. There was a contract for team leaders as well, in which he put down himself and Rangiku. They always wanted all the specifics in any of these exhibitions.

In addition to all that, there were also basic move charts. In those he had to outline some of the different aspects of their own routine. It didn't have to be in order, and they didn't necessarily have to use them if they were included on there. They also weren't limited to what they included. It just seemed like the competition staff wanted some sort of idea what you were all about before you even got there.

He heaved a heavy sigh. Contrary to popular belief, Toshiro did not like to do paperwork.

He may have diligently done his work while studying, but that did not mean he was some sort of machine. Sure, his mentors may have unloaded a lot of the simple work onto him, and he vaguely recalled pulling long nights in order to complete them, but it didn't mean he liked doing it. This all seemed trivial to him. Why did they need this? The more logical side of him pointed out exactly why they needed this information, but in his agitated state, he chose to ignore it.

It didn't make his workload any easier by constantly having his thoughts elsewhere either.

Just when he was getting into the track that would allow him to complete papers until he fell out of his seat, his mind would treacherously drift back to _her_. It wasn't his fault that he was anxious and wanted to get up and do _something,_ mainly practice dancing a little more. Dancing with Rangiku would be even better, actually.

He dropped his pen the second the thought crossed his mind, rather forcefully even. Groaning, he brought both hands up to rub his eyes. It was too late to be doing this. Why was his mind choosing now to torment him? He sighed and picked up his pen once again. Either way, this wasn't going to get done by itself.

Still, he couldn't deny how nice it felt to move again. It was like he had been liberated from confinement of his own making. Rangiku was probably part of the reason of his new found freedom, he supposed. She was always full of life, and the fire that he respected in her always burned brightly.

It was easy to dance with her, he admitted. She definitely knew what she was doing, and she followed his lead smoothly. He could see many possibilities dancing in front of his eyes. This might be fun. It was almost instinctive, the way they led and followed and spun around on the floor. It was like a second nature.

Imagining her sturdy support strong against his reminded him of the stubborn nature each of them held. Neither one was willing to give in. He imagined the way she felt as he dipped her, as he spun her. She put all her faith in him while doing so because dancing was based a lot on trust. It said a lot about their growing relationship. The smile that adorned his face put him in a little better spirits as he got back to work.

Maybe she was rubbing off on him after all.

-End of Part Five


	6. The Wheels Continue To Turn

_Holy cow, yes I've been neglecting my fics. I apologize for that. My life's been hectic for the whole month. It's finally turning around though. I'm moving for college soon, so I hope to have this fic finished before then. I'd never leave it undone. That would bother me to no end. Anyway..._

_Good, not good? Let me know._

_--KG--_

* * *

Chapter Six: The Wheels Continue To Turn

* * *

"Oh, Rangiku! It's beautiful!"

The bun-wearing girl's eyes had widened in awe at the sight of the fabric shown before her. As it was, the costumes they'd been planning for the Pentastep were now finished after a few weeks. They had decided to practice a bit in them today, even though they weren't really meant for it. They didn't allow as much movement as their regular practicing gear did, but they needed to get the feel for them a little bit.

"Haineko Red. My favorite color."

The taller woman beamed at the appreciation Momo was showing. The silky material felt nice, even if it was costume material. It was light, and they had made sure to make it as moveable in as possible. So far it was going well. Orihime's mystery designer really went out of their way this time. The work was fantastic. The deep color glimmered in the light, and the rhinestones bordering the edges of the garments, as well as their shortened collar and sleeves, sparkled when they moved.

Toshiro wanted fiery, and this ashen garment was about as close as they were going to get.

"Wow, this is really nice! You have a great designer." Rangiku nodded her agreement with the girl. Whoever he or she was, they did a great job. "Your usual accessory even goes with it." Rangiku gave her a puzzled look, and Momo giggled while tugging on the edge of the pink scarf hanging from her shoulders.

"I'm going to talk to Orihime about them. How did she find this designer?" Her questions continued to herself as, in a bubble of energy, she strolled off to the other side of the room.

When she was gone, Rangiku looked downwards and frowned. She forgot she even had it on. She never wore it when she performed. Instead, it was a reassurance every time she was off the floor. She felt guarded while she had it on, like nothing else could ever bother her. That's one of the reasons she didn't wear it when dancing. She wanted every emotion to shine through when she was up there. That made for a good performance. Still, it was after when she needed it.

Too bad it didn't protect you from your own thoughts.

She had started wearing it shortly after Gin left. It was on a whim, but for some odd reason, she had felt better when she put it on. The tradition slowly started from there. It became a defining trait for her now. Nanao and a few others had asked about it, but she just replied that it was her good luck charm. It was partly, she supposed, but it had a deeper meaning than that.

Without really knowing it, she had been frowning at it while tugging on it in the same manner Momo had, if a bit more forcefully. She was breaking tradition now. What did that mean? Were the lines in her life becoming so blurred that she couldn't tell which ones were which? She shook her head to clear the thoughts. Usually when she started on a complex string of thinking like that, she automatically hit the sake. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option right now.

So engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the presence that had made his way up to her.

"Leave it. It looks better."

Her head shot up, and she met the gaze of a pair of aquamarine eyes. It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. Looking down at the scarf she was pulling, she allowed a small smile to appear on her face. She didn't exactly know how he knew what she was thinking of, but she was glad for it all the same.

"Really?" She had to make sure. It usually didn't go with anything, and she definitely never wore it like this before.

He nodded his head and even smiled a little back at her. It was hard to notice if you weren't looking for it, but Rangiku spotted it. Without saying anything else, he turned and made his way towards the rest of the red-dressed group, Rangiku following behind.

He coughed slightly to get everyone's attention. "Things have been going very well lately. I'm impressed. It's now the beginning of August and we're way ahead of where I thought we'd be." Many smiles broke out in the group. Sometimes it was rare that they received praise so directly.

"Today, we can relax a bit." He smirked at the relieved faces that he saw. They had been working quite hard. "That doesn't mean we're not going to work hard. We're just going to do something different, something more…fun, I guess." Their pained groans would've made him laugh if he weren't better composed. "It's similar to our regular routine, so it'll be good practice. Isane, if you would."

The dancer in question strode over to the radio and pushed a few buttons, adjusting the volume and the song. Momo went over to the crates in the corner, taking a seat to watch them. Even though there was a joy in doing it herself, there was also a thrill in watching others put on a good show. Even if this was just a practice, it was still fun to watch.

Everyone took their positions as "Dangerous" started. Rangiku spoke. "So this is what you call relaxing, huh? I should've know that light work was your definition of fun."

Toshiro rolled his eyes slightly, holding out his hand for her to take her position. "If you don't like it, I suppose you can always sit out. That used to be a frequent trait of yours, after all."

She let out an indignant huff as she grabbed his hand. "That was a long time ago now."

He spun her out and pulled her in before grabbing her other hand. "You've remedied your ways, then?" He took her slight glare as meaning yes. "Then this should be no problem for you." He started backwards steps, giving her no choice but to follow.

She chuckled a little. "Whatever you say, O Captain, my Captain!"

This practice was similar to a free style. They all made up things as they went. Some moves were ones in their regular routine, some were ones from other performances, and some were made up on the spot. Toshiro had started out dancing with Rangiku, but he gradually made his way between all of them. That was the plan for the Pentastep too, so it didn't get boring. It would require some coordinated movements.

He eventually made his way back to her, and she couldn't help but notice that everyone in the room seemed to be having a good time. It wasn't often that they all allowed themselves to relax, even if it was just a little bit. They'd been really striving to do well for the Pentastep, so that only allowed minimal rest. They had been practicing almost everyday.

The two leads fell into a familiar step, and Rangiku couldn't help but notice the natural feeling that came with it. It was nice. There was really no simpler way to put it. They released one hand, allowing them to circle each other as the beat went on.

It was in that moment that something clicked in her mind. She knew what it was like to have nothing, she had certainly been _there _before. Maybe this time she would fight a little harder for something worthwhile to hang on to, even if it were just for a few moments. Even if it was just like this.

She had never felt so complete as she did right in this moment. Them on the floor and the music filling her ears, that's all she really needed. Things were much easier when dancing. You were stripped down to the raw emotions you held, and how you let them flow is what dictated how good the performance was.

They had started out rough. That much she remembered. When they first met they were like oil and water. He was hopelessly addicted to work, and she was stubborn enough to refuse to do anything when he asked, unless he asked really nicely of course. Now, so much had changed. She got to work without him asking, and he didn't harp at her as much. Whatever it was that brought them closer, whether it be Momo or whatever else, she was grateful for it.

They were so sure with each other now, so much that it was almost scary. Throughout the weeks they had spent extra time together, she found that she could tell exactly what he wanted to say without him having to say it. Sometimes they didn't need words to have a conversation. Rangiku wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world. She had never felt anything as strongly as what she felt right now. A thought occurred to her as she pondered this.

She wondered what it would be like to have this feeling all the time.

**--KG--**

Rangiku leaned against the railing on her balcony, cup of sake in hand. It was dusk now, the sun dimming down to night. It was slightly windy, and the curtains on her French doors flapped with it. She sat out here in the cool breeze, trying to calm her nerves as well as her racing thoughts.

It had been a long day. They started practicing in the morning and didn't get done until late afternoon. Momo had left shortly after they were done, having something else she needed to do. They were a little short-handed at the club tonight, so she offered to work the rest of the afternoon shift because Rukia had fallen ill. It was now close to seven p.m., and she had just gotten home a few minutes ago.

Ever since her revelation during practice today, she couldn't stop her mind from going off on all kinds of tangents. It felt like a sandstorm was whirling through her brain, and she was beginning to get annoyed. She had felt full of energy earlier, like some kind of resolve had washed over her. Now that she stood here in the night air, alone, she felt her doubts beginning to take reign.

She couldn't help that the people she wanted were always out of her reach.

With Gin, it was always the same old story. He seemed to come and go as he pleased. That's just the way he was. Sometimes he wouldn't say where he was going, or if he was even coming back. She found herself waiting for him all the same, regardless. She could never follow him, no matter how long she chased, and one time, he just didn't come back. He said that he wanted a change, and he was going somewhere she couldn't follow. She snorted at the thought. Well, at least that didn't change.

Again she found herself in a similar position. She wasn't sure what she could do. What she and Toshiro had right now worked well. She didn't want to scare him off if she tried to do something he wasn't comfortable with. She didn't even know if he felt remotely the same as she did, trapped behind his own icy facade. She especially didn't want to disrupt the rhythm when the Pentastep was so close.

She was distracted mid-thought by the ringing of her phone. Walking back into the house to the wall near the door, she set her sake cup on the table below the phone as she answered.

"Hello?" She spoke a little unsurely. She didn't often get calls this late at night.

"_Hi, Rangiku. It's Momo. I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow."_

She let out a deep breath as she relaxed, realizing that there wasn't an emergency. "Oh, no I'm not. Why?"

"_Do you think we could spend the day together? I've only got a few things to do, but the rest of the day I have off." _They had been spending a lot of time together over the past few weeks. Rangiku didn't mind at all really. The younger woman was refreshing.

"Sure, that sounds great. Where do you want me to meet you?" She looked forward to an outing.

"_Umm…how about at that coffee shop we went to before? Is ten okay?"_

"Alright. I'll see you then."

"_Okay, thanks! Bye!"_ She heard the click of the phone and hung up herself.

Rangiku closed the doors to the outside and shut the curtains. She picked up her cup and drained the contents, relishing in the light burn as it went down. She glanced over at the clock. Ten already? Since when did time fly by so fast?

She brought her dish to the kitchen and started methodically shutting off the rest of her lights, stopping by the door to make sure it was locked. She then retired for the night, dismissing the nagging feeling she had.

Tomorrow might be interesting.

**--KG--**

Toshiro was sitting at the bar in The Thirteenth Step. He wasn't really sure why, seeing how he didn't drink, but it just seemed like the thing to do today. There was no practice, and there wasn't any show going on tonight. There wasn't really anything going on in the bar either. It was noon, so it was still a bit dead, but the crowd was picking up slightly as time went on.

He saw Nemu down on the other end of the bar, serving some new arrivals. He, himself, hadn't wanted anything. He was just sitting here, being left to stew in his own thoughts. He watched Nemu move towards the sink after the patrons had moved to a different table. She started the familiar scene of washing glasses, like the rest of them did. There wasn't really much else to do.

The phone rang suddenly, causing Nemu to stop her actions and dry her hands before picking up the phone. Toshiro's attention was caught as he listened in.

"Hello, Thirteenth Step." She paused for a minute, looking down the bar in his direction. "Yes, he is." Another pause. "I will do that right away." She hung up the phone and started to walk towards him.

His stomach clenched without his permission, and he was suddenly feeling very anxious. Everything Nemu did was serious, but this just screamed bad. He raised one eyebrow as she stopped in front of him, asking her to speak.

"Toshiro, Rangiku has been taken to Fourth Memorial about twenty minutes ago. She has gotten into an accident. Would you- Wait!"

Nemu watched as he rushed out the door, not bothering to listen to the rest of the message. She sighed. She supposed that he would find out the rest of it sooner or later. If anything else, she hoped Rangiku was okay. She may not be a social butterfly like the older woman, but she was still nice company to have. Much more livelier than people like her father. She dared to call her a friend, even.

Frowning slightly, she headed back down the bar, picking up the phone.

-End of Part Six

* * *

_I also realize what I've left this fic at. A cliff. I'm sorry for that too. It's really short, but this is where I wanted to end it. Like I said before, life caught up with me for the past few weeks. On another note, "O Captain, my Captain" is owned by Walt Whitman, not me, and "Dangerous" is owned by Kardinal Offishall. So yeah, tell me what you think._

_--KG--_


	7. Used To It

_So yeah, life's still keeping me busy. Packing stuff really is a pain. No other excuse really, other than not having much inspiration to go on. Here it is anyway though. It's longer than all the rest, so hopefully that makes up for it a little bit? Maybe? Sort of? How's my characterization? I'd really like to know. I was a bit challenged, so I kept it short XD. _

_Anyway, you know the drill. Good, not good? Let me know._

_--KG--_

* * *

Chapter Seven: Used To It

* * *

The Fourth Memorial was never really a happy place to be, unless of course, you were here witnessing a birth or some other special event. Named after some famous fourth descendent of some legendary doctor Toshiro really had no interest in, it was the place to go if something unfortunate should happen. Important or no, Toshiro really didn't like the place or hospitals in general, especially when those close to him were the occupants. It was true that there were more successes here than failures thanks to the wonderful medical staff, but he still had no clue what was going on.

Wonderful staff or not, if the accident was that bad, there might be little they could do.

He inwardly cursed himself for his haste to put distance between him and The Thirteenth Step. He probably should've stayed and listened to the rest of what Nemu had to say, but he let his emotions rule over his logic just once and did the first thing that came to mind. It seemed he was doing that more and more when it came to Rangiku these days. Perhaps it was a bad omen.

He shook his head forcefully as he quickly treaded down the silent corridor. He would _not_ think negatively right now. He would deal whatever happened to Rangiku, and he would do it with a clear head on his shoulders.

The only sound in the building was the echoing of his footsteps against the white tiles. He could hear machinery and the like from a distance, but for the most part, this area was quiet. He usually didn't mind the silence, but right now it was unnerving. He usually basked in this time to think, but he was fining that thinking now was not in his best interests. That got him into worrying, and that was something that his cool demeanor did not allow.

Reaching the elevator at the end of the hall, he waited patiently for the doors to open for him. Pressing '3' for the Patient Recovery Ward, he sat motionless as the lift started to rise.

The young man at the front desk hadn't disclosed the nature of the injury, but he didn't seem to think it was too life-threatening. That calmed Toshiro down a little. The attendant supplied the room number and directed the snowy man on how to get there, but he wouldn't give up any extra information that Toshiro was fishing for. Something about 'patient confidentiality' or something. The only other way to get it was if he was a relative or a significant other.

The thought of saying he was crossed his mind for a few moments, but he didn't even want to think about what kinds of problems that would cause if word got out. It was obvious that he couldn't really pass for a relative, so there would be only one other option. As much as he wouldn't really mind the idea, he was sure that others would.

He was surprised that the timid man didn't cave to hustling, being as nervous looking as he was. He could tell that he genuinely cared about his line of work, but the guy needed to seriously calm down. His stuttering and flustering would probably only get in the way with an unruly visitor or patient.

Still, he was pretty nice, and his flustering had probably came with a good reason. It seemed that the hospital had him doing all sorts of things, and the desk was a temporary spot until he was whisked off somewhere else. Toshiro got a name for this trouble though, a Hanataro Yamada, and he couldn't place where he thought he heard it before. Oh well, maybe he would ask him later if he was up to it.

The small ding of the device yanked him back to reality. There he was thinking again. As interesting as his thoughts were, there were more important things at hand. Setting off at another brisk pace, he set a small frown on his face as he searched for the correct door.

About twenty doors down he ended his search, not bothering to knock as he hurried in. His eyes widened upon seeing all the people in the room. It was more than he was expecting anyway. He scanned them all, not finding the one he most wanted to see. Instead, he focused on a face he knew better, Momo's. It was better than some of the other choices. At least _she_ wasn't grinning.

He was about to question her for Rangiku's whereabouts and what exactly had happened, but before he had a chance to, he found himself with an armful of babbling Momo, who looked like she had tears rolling down her porcelain face. He had no choice but to wrap his arms around her when she latched on to his waist, burying her face in his shirt.

Continuing her muffled speech in his shirt wasn't helping him find out information any faster. It unnerved him a little, knowing that she was this distraught over something. He really, really hoped it wasn't something bad. Feeling his inner dread start to rise, he lightly shook the bun-wearing girl.

"Momo, calm down." He tried to be soothing, but who knows how well it actually came out. He was a bit tensed as it was. "What happened?"

He pushed her away slightly, if only to get a look at her face a bit better. It took her a minute to compose herself, so he took that opportunity to glance at the other occupants in the room. He recognized them faintly, having met them only once or twice at tops.

He acknowledged Halibel, _Hueco Mundo's_ lead, with a nod of his head. She returned the gesture with one of her own from the corner of the room. He didn't exactly like where the idea in his head was going. One look at the other occupant in the room solidified his sinking feeling. It was him. What the hell was Gin doing here?

And why the hell was he _smiling_, of all possible things? Did that creepy looking grin never leave his face? Sometimes Toshiro really wondered. More importantly, he wondered why he was even here in the first place. He didn't bother greeting the man that had previously left a dent in the soul of one of his closest friends. He didn't really think him worthy of it. Instead, he just glared at the man leaning on the edge of the bed, hoping that his look got the point across. Much to his chagrin, it seemed that Gin's grin got even wider.

The warning bells seemed to go off in Toshiro's head as soon as he realized where all of these people were from. So it appeared that Rangiku was near _Hueco Mundo_ at the time of her injury.

How ironic.

The frown on his face intensified after this, promising hurt if any one of them were the cause behind it. And what exactly happened in the first place? He was still in the process of getting this answer.

Another sniffle from Momo brought his attention back down from the endless labyrinth of his mind. She was furiously wiping away some stray tears from her face before she spoke. It was obvious that the girl was stressed. It showed just what good of a friend she was.

She backed away a step to look up, not breaking contact yet. Her shadowed eyes were glimmering with the remaining tears that she wouldn't let fall. Her next words were all jumbled and rushed, and he thought that she was going to start crying again.

"Toshiro, I'm so sorry! It was all my fault. I never should've asked her to come with me and-!" She closed her eyes tight and looked down, not wanting to believe that any of this was happening. If only she hadn't asked. Then things might be right in the world.

"Then she wouldn't be hurt, and she wouldn't have to-"

"Oh, what's all the fuss about? It's not like I died or anything."

Momo was abruptly cut off, and all four of them looked over towards the door at this new statement, seeing none other than Rangiku. They had to look down from their usual gaze though, because she was being occupied in a wheelchair, guided by a nurse.

Toshiro met her gaze, and for a moment it seemed that he could read every emotion that was passing though them. He saw the sadness in them. He wondered if she was able to do the same, looking so wounded and vulnerable as she did. He wondered if he appeared the same. Glancing down, he saw what was probably their worst fear.

Her ankle.

It was heavily bandaged in a cast, restricting her movement. It was the wrap around kind, easily removable, but still doing its required job. From the looks of her current situation, it looked like they didn't want her putting any pressure on it.

The nurse wheeled her closer to the bed and carefully moved her onto it. After adjusting the blankets and pillow so she was propped up and checking her foot, she gave a bright smile and addressed everyone in the room.

"Well, I think you can take it from here. Remember what the doctor said about walking on it. One of us will be checking on you later, and that button can call us if you need anything. Try to get some rest."

She then exited the room, leaving the five of them in a silence that nobody was really comfortable in. Toshiro still hadn't taken his gaze away from Rangiku, still loosely holding on to Momo.

The fox-face was the first one to break the silence, having moved since Rangiku had lain down. "Well, that's quite the predicament ya got yourself into, Rangiku dear."

Toshiro inwardly flinched at his tone. It was almost endearing, almost. He didn't like him taking that tone. It was borderline mocking, if you asked him. He didn't deserve to speak so freely to her. He should be groveling, begging her forgiveness for treating her so badly. He didn't even know why he was thinking this all of a sudden. It wasn't really any of his business concerning her former relationships. Still, there was a part of him wishing that it was, in fact, his business. It was almost like a roaring voice in the back of his head.

Maybe it was that natural animal protectiveness that caused all of this. The natural instinct to protect those close to you. Everyone had it, others just chose not to listen to it. Then why didn't he feel that way about everyone close to him? He mentally sighed. It gave him a headache just thinking about it.

He heard a dry laugh and confirmed that it came form Rangiku. "You could say that." She brought a weary hand up to the side of her face, dragging it down. "There's not much that can be done about it now."

The grinning man nodded, and stood up straighter, motioning towards the door. "I suppose I'll be goin' then. Can't keep Aizen waitin'. Take care." He offered a little wave with his departure, leaving silently through the door.

Halibel followed suit soon after, pausing at the foot of the bed while resting her hand on the rail. She shared a sympathetic look with the other lead dancer, knowing exactly how she would feel in the same situation. With a nod of understanding, she also exited, leaving the three of them in another looming silence.

Momo finally broke away from her hold on him, and went to the side of the bed closest to the door. Toshiro took the liberty of sitting in a chair on the other side, pulling it closer. He watched the two look at each other, Momo with a frown on her face. Rangiku looked serious for once, not showing that spark of life that she usually did. It almost hurt to see her like that, he noticed.

"Rangiku, I really am sorry about all of this." Her eyes were downcast, finding the floor more interesting than either of them.

"Listen, Momo. I already told you, it's not your fault. It was just a freak accident. It could've happened at any time." She was comforting, like she always was.

"Still…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"No. None of that." The taller woman grabbed onto the bun-wearing girl's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. For who, she didn't know. This caused the lamenting girl to look up. "Anyway, don't you have a show to get ready for tonight?"

She nodded, knowing that she couldn't stay in here forever. It was going to be hard performing tonight, knowing that Rangiku wasn't doing the same. She said her goodbyes and shuffled slowly out the door, promising to come back tomorrow.

The occupants in the room had diminished to two, leaving a thick tension in the air, like a crushing fog. Neither really knew what to say, knowing what would have to happen no matter what was said. Nothing could change the outcome now. Still, he wanted, no _needed _to know what happened. He didn't know how long it had been that they sat in the silence of one another. Twenty minutes? Forty minutes, perhaps?

One thing he did know though, was that he didn't want it eating away at him any longer.

"What happened?"

His voice was light, knowing full well what the extent of her injury meant. When he first saw it, he didn't want to believe it. It was hard to fathom that someone who seemed so unbreakable, someone who had been through so much, could be taken down so simply. It reminded him of just how human all of them were, no matter if sometimes they seemed like ethereal spirits. They still shattered just as easily.

It now felt like they were slowly drowning. It didn't matter how furiously they tried to break surface. Drowning was still drowning, and you still didn't make it out alive. He looked over to her when she heaved a heavy sigh, taking his gaze up from the sheet he held in his hand. He had clutched to it unconsciously, like trying to anchor himself to something real that was better than this.

"A freak accident. Just like I told Momo."

**--KG--**

Rangiku sat on the cold doctor's table silently. She had just gotten to the office a few minutes ago, arriving about twenty minutes prior to that. She was stepping into the hospital one minute, then whisked off the next. It was probably due to the front attendant noticing her mangled foot. She let out a sigh. The lady had visibly paled when she saw it.

So much for reassuring the patients.

She knew it was bad upon receiving it, could feel it even better than she saw it, but they didn't have to remind her of the damage so fluently.

The first thing they did was rush her to the x-ray room. They put her under something called a "stress" x-ray, trying to see if her ankle was stable or not. They were being developed as she sat here, and that was probably what was taking her doctor so long. She was a bit surprised that x-rays were the first thing on the to-do list. They didn't even bother cleaning up her foot until afterwards.

Rangiku wasn't the guru on anything medical, but she was smart enough to know that something like this couldn't be ignored. She couldn't really tell if it was broken or not, but she knew that it was something major because putting even the slightest pressure on it brought total agony. It felt like a plastic ruler with weights on the end of it, if any more weight was added, she was sure it was going to snap right off.

There was no way she was going to be able to walk very far on it.

Getting here had been a total pain, literally and figuratively. After getting up, she had found it unbearable to stand, let alone go anywhere. Momo had rushed over to her and asked if she was alright, but Rangiku had insisted on going in. Usually she liked to keep her distance from these sorts of places, but this time she didn't really have much of a choice.

Momo had struggled trying to support her. As it turns out, Gin was nearby and offered to help out himself. She was hesitant to accept his offer, but it would've taken Momo three times as long to move the same distance. They were joined by Halibel, and together all four of them made it here. They were probably waiting for her in a room somewhere, if she ever got out of here.

She sighed again. Why did this have to take so long? She already knew things were bad. She didn't want to drag it out any longer. She just wanted to go home so she could wash away her worries with sake and lament about how her life had just dropped off the edge of a steep cliff. It was August now. That meant that there was less than a month to prepare…It wasn't nearly enough time…

Her thoughts were cut off as she heard soft voices approaching her door. A presence stopped before it and hesitated a moment before turning the knob slightly. Did they like their dramatic entrances? Usually the news they brought wasn't good, by any means. She had never been admitted here before, so she wasn't sure of what to expect. Certainly not the woman that came through that door.

Rangiku was staring in that general direction, so the first thing that happen was a meeting of gazes. Deep violet met clear azure. Rangiku thought them similar to Nanao's, if she had to label anything to it. That in itself sent another wave of emotion through her. Although happy for her long-time friend, she did miss her. It had been a while since they talked to one another.

The entering woman gave a soft smile, moving Rangiku's attention away from her eyes. Her hair was braided in an intricate design down her front. Odd, Rangiku didn't think she saw one of those before. She seemed to give off a calming air too. Almost like a motherly feeling. It had definitely been a while since she had felt anything similar to _that._

The regal woman stepped in and turned to close the door quietly behind her. As she did so, Rangiku caught the Fourth's emblem on the back of her white overcoat. She had seen a few others like that one, but none with the logo on the back. Perhaps she got one of the higher ups.

The lady took a seat at the desk next to the table and started going through the manila file she brought. Rangiku assumed it to be hers, although how they got the information, she didn't know. It was silent for another moment as the doctor scratched away on some other documents, leaving Rangiku alone with her thoughts once again. She had to bite back heaving a really big sigh in agitation. She knew it wasn't their fault, but she really, really wanted to get out of here.

It didn't last much longer after that though, as the noise abruptly stopped and the file was closed. Rangiku looked up as the lady started to speak.

"Hello, miss Rangiku. I am Retsu Unohana, the head doctor here. I've taken a look at your x-rays regarding your left ankle."

She spoke calmly and with purpose. Rangiku found that she liked her, even if the situation wasn't at all pleasant. The head doctor rose to her feet and pulled the x-rays out of another packet, turning on the lighted screen to see them better.

Rangiku curiously gazed at the image before her. It was strange seeing a different side of her. She could tell at once that is wasn't good. The dark line of breakage was very visible, even from her seat.

"As you can see here," She pointed to the indicated crack. "You have fractured your fibula, on the underside of your ankle." She gently ran her hand down Rangiku's injured limb to show the parallel.

"The stress x-ray didn't indicate any wavering stability, but that could easily change if the wrong pressure is applied to it. At this stage, we will not have to do surgery unless you break it further."

She paused again, and Rangiku breathed relief. At least she wouldn't have to go through that. It was one step closer to recovery.

Rangiku had a very important question. Maybe if she was just lucky enough… "Doctor Unohana,-"

"Retsu, please." She was interrupted, but graced with a smile. Rangiku returned it.

"Retsu," The addressed nodded. "How long am I going to be out for?"

She had the hopeful glint in her voice, and Retsu didn't miss it. This kind of news was always so hard to give, watching their hopes crash back down into the ground. She shook her head sadly.

"The minimum requirement of rest will be six weeks. However, due to the location of the injury and how fragile it is, I'm going to say that you need to stay off of it for at least two months."

And there it was, crash and burn. It really couldn't be helped though. If she didn't want to agitate it further, it was going to have to receive the proper treatment.

"I understand that you are a performer, but too much pressure on your ankle will result in further damage. I don't know how far back this will set you, but you must try to stay off of it as much as possible. Travel will be aided to reduce pressure."

Well that was easy. No Pentastep.

But she already knew that. That was the first thought that went through her mind. It meant that she was no longer going to dance with Toshiro. There would be no more complete feeling, her heart wouldn't race as she spun around on the floor, and he wouldn't have just that look while doing it, at least not for her. What was going to happen now? It saddened her, if she had to place an emotion on it. Life just wasn't that fair, but she should know that.

She was inured to disappointment and let-downs by now.

She inwardly sighed in despair. Things were going so well too. Her resolve had been set into stone. Now what was she supposed to do? Could she still pursue him? There was no denying what she wanted now, and she wanted him. She couldn't ignore something that felt so right to her. She had to take a shot. What now? Would she still have a shot now that she couldn't compete?

"I'm sorry." Her words were comforting, like they were supposed to be. It didn't really clench that aching feeling in her gut though. She offered up a sad smile.

"It's not your fault. Thank you for everything."

The braided woman nodded. "Someone will be in to bandage your foot and get you a brace shortly. I have some things I must attend to or I would do it myself. I hope you rest well this evening."

The woman swept out of the room moments later, obviously being a very busy person. Rangiku let out the sigh she'd been saving. Well, there wasn't anything she could do about it now.

She watched a nurse enter, wheelchair in tow to take her to her room. She had a feeling that tonight was going to be very long.

**--KG--**

Toshiro knew that there was more to her sliver of explanation, he just had to wait until she was ready to tell him so. She always did, so he really wasn't worried about it…that much. Dancing was what tied them together before, like the threads in a structured blanket. Now that that familiarity had practically disappeared from their reach, would she still act the same towards him?

He wasn't really sure what scared him more, the fact that she might act different, or the fact that he didn't want her to.

He had gotten used to their interactions, welcomed them even. To change that now would have many negative side effects. He had just recently lost Momo's support in his field, he didn't know if he could handle one more. Would she leave the club entirely? He reasoned that it was a very likely possibility. He didn't know the exact extent of the damage, but he was smart enough to know that she would be out of commission for quite a while.

"Can…" He was hesitant for a moment, and she looked up at his turquoise gaze. "Can I see it?"

He wasn't sure why he wanted to, he just did. Maybe he needed solid proof to put his mind at ease, although he was going to be far from unstressed even after seeing it.

"Are you sure? It's not very pretty." She had a frown on her face, and it caused her forehead to wrinkle. It must look similar to his, he thought, as the woman sitting before him always reminded him. He nodded silently, and she reached down to unhook the brace.

She unwrapped the bandages carefully, making sure she would be able to put them back on. They told her that someone would be back later to change them, but she didn't want to leave it open until then. It wove around her ankle numerous times, exposing little bits of skin as she went.

Toshiro just stared at the skin being shown to him. When the bandage was all the way off, he caught sight of the reason she needed bandages in the first place. It was obvious from the dark stain on the inside of the white cloth that it had bled profusely. All around her ankle and on the top of her foot were lacerations. They say that humans are the only animals that don't judge depth well with their eyes, but Toshiro was sure that they looked pretty deep…and painful.

"We went to _Hueco Mundo_ for a minute because Momo had to get something." She wasn't looking at him, he noticed, but kept her gaze on her own appendage. She was solemn, like how one would expect someone to recall a bad experience.

"It was busy. I think someone was having an afternoon party. Everything was packed."

She ran her hand over the top of her foot gently, being careful not to touch the burning skin. She wrapped her hand around and brought it up the underside of her leg, effectively wincing when she brushed over the damaged bone. Toshiro's eyes never strayed from her hand.

Past the marks and wounds, he saw how strong and lithe she really was. It was just a glimpse, but he imagined that she was like that everywhere too. It was part of a dancer's physique, he supposed.

She didn't know why she was showing him this distasteful part of herself. It was yet another flaw to add to her long list. Still, maybe she just wanted to capture his attention for as long as she could. Who knew when that would all end, after all.

"We were walking by the stage, and by the curtain holder at the bottom of the stairs. You know the one, near the wall on the edge." He nodded, although she still wasn't looking at him. Glancing over, he saw that she had her eyes clenched shut.

Whether she was trying to block it out or remember more vividly, he wasn't sure.

"Neither of us saw whoever it was. It was just an accident. The floor was packed. I didn't realize I was falling until I felt burning in my foot. I barely got my hands out to stop me, but as far as my ankle went…" She trailed off, not really needing to go on anymore. He could clearly see what the result was.

"It got caught in the curtain holder. That's why there's so many cuts and bruises. I suppose it could've been worse." She looked up at him then, and he nodded back at her. True, it could've been worse. This was bad enough as it was though.

Now all the missing pieces had been put back in place. She went with Momo, someone knocked her over, and now she was injured. Now they had to decide what happened next. She obviously couldn't compete.

"Retsu said two months."

Ah, there it was. The unanswered question. There would be no Pentastep for Rangiku now. It was strange, but he felt like a heavy weight was on him now, like he shared her downcast woes. He really wanted her to do well. Out of all of them, she probably had the best chance. That was the problem. Had.

He sighed softly, trying not to alert her of his inner turmoil. If they still wanted to compete, they would have to find a replacement dancer. They were now back to square one. There was even less time to train anyone new now. It would be almost impossible.

He felt a flare of anxiety go through him at this thought. It felt like still competing would be betraying her in some way. He didn't want that. They were supposed to all go. Life was like that though. It loved to lead you in one direction and then rip the road out from under you. Even he knew that. Disappointment was not an uncommon thing.

Anger welled up next, although it was controlled anger. Whether it was accident or not, whoever was responsible for this had better keep themselves anonymous for their own good. He nodded to himself, determined.

Nobody hurt Rangiku. Not anymore.

-End of Part Seven


	8. Forever

_And here we have it! The epic end! Oh my goodness, I must love my readers too much. It's currently late, I'm getting up early to move to my new place, I have no desk, no chair, no light, and here I am, wanting to finish this fic before I leave. I can say that I do feel much better now though. I will not ever leave anything unfinished. Many hours and eleven pages of size ten font later, and we have the last chapter. _

_I don't own "Forever", that belongs to Chris Brown._

_You know the drill. Good, not good? Let me know._

_--KG--_

* * *

Chapter Eight: Forever

* * *

It was late. Rangiku didn't know exactly how late, but the sky had turned from blue to orange to black, if the color behind the slots in the shades were any indicator. The small lamp near her bedside had been turned on, making a soft orange glow cover the room. The lights in the hall were dim, indicating that most of the staff had also departed. She rarely ever saw anyone passing by the window of her door.

She sat back and let out a breath. Toshiro had just left. It surprised her that he had stayed so long really. She didn't know why he did, but she was grateful for his company, at any rate. These places could be so deathly boring sometimes. They didn't even talk for very long. Most of the time spent was in a comfortable silence between the two.

Rangiku didn't really mind that, she supposed. There wasn't really anything to say now. What was done, was done. No amount of sympathy or pity was going to get her ankle working in time for the Pentastep. She thought that such things would probably seem really strange coming from Toshiro anyway. He probably wasn't too happy either. Now the team was really going to be in trouble.

Someone had been in a short time ago to change the bandages on her foot and give it a glance over. Toshiro had stayed for that too. It only took a few minutes to clean it up, but Rangiku could tell the difference immediately. The salve the nurse applied was very soothing, cooling the skin down. It put her in a slightly better mood. She supposed the painkillers helped too though.

She had thought about attempting to dance on the damaged limb anyway, but as soon as she got that funny look on her face looking at it, Toshiro immediately shot the idea down. She didn't quite know how he knew what she was thinking, but she supposed that it was probably along the same lines of how they could have a conversation without saying anything. That was always a bit comforting.

A small, vain part of her really hoped that she had made an impression on him as much as he did on her.

It was getting to the point now where she wouldn't go for more than a few minutes without having him on the brain. Usually it was just some small thought that eventually chained back to him in some way. Adjusting her pillows to lean back a bit more, she let a smile come to her face. What would Nanao say if she could see her now?

A ringing next to her ear caused her to jump up from her nighttime reverie.

Oh. She had almost forgotten that there was a phone in her room. Who would be calling her though? Picking it up, she answered somewhat hesitantly. "Hello?"

"_Rangiku? Thank God!" _The voice on the other line gave out a deep breath, like they had been expecting someone else.

"Nanao? Is that you?" She almost couldn't believe her ears.

"_Yes, it's me. When Nemu called and said you got into an accident, I was so worried. What happened?"_

Nemu? How did Nemu find out about her foot? What's more, how did she find Nanao's number? The last time Rangiku checked, they weren't all the close. Now that she thought about it, Nemu wasn't really that close with anyone, although she could be quite the entertainment after a few drinks were put into her.

"Nemu?" She voiced her inner questions out loud.

"_Well, she said that after she told Toshiro where you were, she called Jushiro to ask for Shunsui's number. She told me that I had a right to know, seeing how I am your best friend. Shunsui didn't give her too hard a time, thank goodness, but probably only because it was something so serious. He gave her my other number, and I called immediately after I got out from class." _

The comment was left to linger, wondering just how much Nemu thought of them if she went through all that trouble just to let Nanao know about her. It really put a whole different perspective on things. Maybe she wasn't the empty shell that everyone first glimpsed.

"Wow. That was…unexpected to say the least. Nice though. I'll have to remember to thank her later."

"_She also called the rest of the girls. Since they're only keeping you overnight, they thought that they could visit you tomorrow." _The line was quiet for a minute, like she was pondering how to word the next thing on her mind. When she did speak up again, it was a softer and quieter tone than she previously used. _"So, how bad is it?"_

Rangiku didn't know just how Nanao knew they were only keeping her overnight. She forgot to mention to the rest that she would more than likely be released tomorrow as long as nothing went wrong through the night. So long as she stayed off of it, they didn't see that happening.

Despite the situation, Rangiku laughed inwardly. Knowing her, Nanao probably hustled some poor desk attendant for the necessary information. She always did learn whatever it was she needed to know, usually in short time too. Whatever was needed, she got. That was one of the things that made her good at what she did.

"Well, long story short, I caught my foot in one of the stage curtain wheels, effectively tearing it up and fracturing a bone. I'll be out for a few months."

The line was quiet on the other end, letting the information sink in. It wasn't good, no matter what way you looked at it.

"_I'm sorry." _Another pause._ "Does that mean you can't be in the Pentastep? That was in September, wasn't it?" _

That was another thing she valued about Nanao. You didn't have to plainly spell things out for her. She was quick at putting two and two together quickly.

Rangiku had shared many things with Nanao since they happened. She knew that the strawberry-blonde was excited about the event. She could tell through her bubbly voice on the phone. Now she sounded so down. It was to be expected though. Nanao knew of the pain of having everything ripped out from under you at the most inconvenient time.

A sad laugh filled the hospital end of the phone. "Yeah. No Pentastep. I could've almost guessed that from the beginning though. It was going along too well to be true. I should've known that was too easy." She heaved a long sigh, preparing to spill more of her woes while she was already at it.

"We're back to the same problem that we started with. Toshiro fixed it before by dancing with us, but now there's no one left to take my place. It's too late to get someone green. They wouldn't know enough to be of any real use. I don't want them to have to wait just because of me. They deserve better than that."

It was true, she thought. She didn't want to be the one holding the rest of them back from greatness. They had a lot of talent, and that was something that shouldn't go to waste. Her misfortunes should be shared with the whole group. They had their own share of problems to deal with without adding hers into the mix. Some of them might not get a better chance at success, or a better chance at all. She knew that they probably didn't want to be stuck at the club for the rest of their dancing career.

"There's never been a time when we could use your skill more." A quieter laugh rang out as she envisioned how it used to be, when they would practice when no one else was watching and actually have fun doing it.

"_I highly doubt my skill would've been Pentastep material."_

They both laughed a little, knowing it was probably true. Nanao hadn't been doing it nearly as long, so she didn't know what everything was called or even how to move about as a larger group than just the two of them.

"_Do you think Momo would consider joining now?"_

Rangiku had wondered that too. Things might be a little different now, but she doubt that Momo would change her mind, even if it was just that once. She thought it was probably worth a shot to try.

"Maybe, but anyway, I've been mulling over that all day. Let's talk about something else, like you!"

It was amazing how her attitude could bounce back and forth from both extremes like that. Nanao knew that she was just trying to get her mind off it, so who was she to keep her spirits in the dark? She knew that it must be hard for her. Dancing was her life, after all. She had the opportunity of the century coming up, only to have it taken away.

"So…" She had that mischievous glint to her voice, making Nanao wonder what the injured girl was thinking. "What have you and Shunsui been doing?" It was almost a singsong voice she used, and it immediately had Nanao on her toes. She imagined that if they had been in the same room, Rangiku would be wiggling her eyebrows, much like Shunsui did.

"_Rangiku!" _

There was a light cough on the other end followed by a pause, and Rangiku could imagine her pushing up her glasses in slight embarrassment. There would also be a light dusting on her cheeks too. She hadn't been with him for that long to be completely comfortable, she supposed.

"_Shunsui and I are just fine, thank you." _There was another cough before she continued. _"There hasn't really been much going on here besides the usual. The brewery has been going well. I've almost finally caught up with all the paperwork that was left lying around. Good lord, I don't know how Shunsui knew what was going on before I showed up. There looked to be years worth of documents!"_

Rangiku believed it. From what she gathered chatting with Shunsui and Jushiro, it seemed that paperwork (or really much work in general) was not very high on his priority list. She could almost imagine an office filled to the brim with towers of white, all threatening to spill over onto unsuspecting victims. How Nanao could handle all that, she would never know. Some people had strange skills, it seemed.

"How has your schooling been going? I know last time we talked you were still in the first semester."

"_Well, the first semester ends next month. They're relatively short classes. Basically touch ups for things I didn't get to in the main program. They couldn't have come at a better time either. I put most of the things to use right away. If all goes well, we should be back in town in a few months."_

"That's great, Nanao. I can't wait to see the two of you. It's been pretty slow around here without you. I have nobody to drink with." Nanao laughed, and Rangiku couldn't help to laugh with her. "We all know that Toshiro won't drink with me, especially before working hours."

A quiet descended on them for a moment, sending both into their respective thoughts. One was stuck reminiscing about a certain white-haired dancer, and the other stuck on the one thinking about him. Nanao hesitated for a moment, but decided to pry anyway. Hopefully it would be for the better.

"_It's not just the Pentastep that you're worried about. What else is bothering you?" _Ah, Nanao. She always could see past the fake mask that Rangiku often wore. Sometimes it was a curse, other times a blessing.

"Well…" She hesitated for a moment, not really knowing if she wanted to admit to her thoughts out loud. In the end, she figured that she might as well.

"You know how you talked about wanting a constant in your life? Something that remained the same, something that you could hold on to?" Hearing a 'yes' from the other line, she continued.

"What would you have done if you didn't get it?"

The question left Nanao speechless for a moment. She never really gave that much thought, even while it was happening. She was too focused on what she needed to do to get it, not worrying about what would happen if everything didn't fall through. She rubbed her temples while thinking, trying to find some way to help Rangiku pick up her own spirit. She had an inkling to what this was about.

"_Well, at the time I was too preoccupied with the goal, so I didn't really think long on it. I suppose I would've just continued on normally until something else jumped out at me." _She paused for a minute before deciding she was just going to find out the root of this.

"_This is about Toshiro, isn't it?"_

The line at the hospital end went quiet, and Nanao knew that she struck gold. She didn't observe them back at the club for nothing, after all.

She could understand why Rangiku was a bit hesitant. The relationship with Gin had taken a lot out of her. She was worried because it wasn't like Rangiku to sit back on the sidelines and mope, at least not in the presence of others. She usually boldly stated her intentions. Perhaps the sake helped loosen the tongue a bit, but it was just in Rangiku's nature to be the fiery person that she was. Nanao didn't like seeing her like this.

Suddenly, there was life on the other end of the phone, and Nanao just shook her head.

"What are you talking about? Of course not!" She laughed and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, knowing that Nanao couldn't see it.

Right. Like Nanao was buying that one.

"_Rangiku, I've known you for a long time. I saw the way you used to look at him. Now I suppose it's gotten worse because you spend more time together. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure these things out. Besides, you always sounded like you were on cloud nine while talking about him. I'm not dense."_

Well, she couldn't argue with that. If she was being that obvious before, there wasn't much use trying to hide it now. "Of course not. I should've known that you knew better."

"_So what's the problem?"_

Honestly, if she was making something big out of nothing, she was going to swat her with her book when she got back. She had started carrying it around recently, and she found that it was very handy when Shunsui needed the right motivation.

"It's complicated." She sighed, picking up that dreary quality again.

"_Oh, come on. It's probably not as bad as you think. You're probably overreacting."_ She paused for a minute. _"You probably think that now that you're injured, you will cease to interact with Toshiro like you have been. That would then cause you to think that he would lose interest in you." _

It took a minute for a response, but Nanao waited for it all the same. "Maybe."

It really did take a lot of guts to actually admit it out loud to someone, but she couldn't deny that she felt a little better now that she determined what the problem was. Nanao sounded disbelieving too, in her opinion. Maybe there was some simple solution to all of this?

"_Then you don't have anything to worry about. From what I know about Toshiro, he's not someone so shallow as to only use people for their worth. If he's interested, and that's something you'll have to figure out on your own, then he'd be interested in you, Rangiku, not just your skills."_

Well, it was certainly weird to have their roles reversed, but Rangiku was grateful for the council anyway. She did have a point. She didn't think him shallow either, but she just couldn't be so sure anymore. She used to think that she could read people well, but everyone knew how that blew up in her face. Then again, maybe Gin was just that rare case that nobody is meant to understand. Maybe it wasn't really her fault.

"_So, Rangiku, what is it that you want?"_ The question was simple enough, but it had such a greater meaning.

"I want…" She stopped for a moment, trying to form words. "I want something to hang on to. Like that feeling I get when I'm dancing with him. It's the most complete I've ever felt. It's almost like…I don't know. Maybe, dare I say it…love?"

Nanao smiled on the other end. Once Rangiku had an idea in her head, she usually stuck with it. _"Then hang on to it. Don't let it slip away because of your insecurities. You don't get anything without taking a risk. I should know. Sometimes it doesn't work out, but sometimes it turns out to be everything you ever wanted." _

Rangiku knew she was speaking from her own experiences to give this advice. Nanao had also taken a big risk when she put her trust in Shunsui. If it could work for Nanao, whose to say it can't work for her as well?

A smile came to her face as she answered. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"_Good. I'll call you when you're home then." _Nanao knew she struck a chord somewhere. Her voice no longer held that defeating quality. It was always better to see Rangiku with a purpose.

"Alright. Goodnight, Nanao, and remember, play nice!"

"_R-Rangiku!"_ She sputtered slightly, causing the dancing woman to laugh. When they both had calmed down, they bid each other goodnight and hung up.

She looked at the phone next to her for a minute before she decided to reach over and turn off the light. She might as well try to get some sleep. She thought back on Nanao's words and smiled. Maybe she wasn't out of the running yet. There was only one way to find out. Now she could sit back and take her time really.

She was still worried about finding someone to dance in the Pentastep, but she supposed that could wait until morning when she had a clearer head. Maybe she could convince Momo to do it after all.

With some peaceful thoughts on the brain, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

--KG--

"Momo, you have to take my place for the Pentastep!"

Well, Rangiku supposed the morning could've started out even more strange than it did. Momo had come to visit this morning before a lesson, so Rangiku didn't beat around the bush and asked her straight out what she wanted to know. It was the first thing she said.

She had woken up early that morning for going to bed so late. The first thing that she did was start to mull over her thoughts which led her back to this roadblock once again. Something had to be done about it. There was no way that she was going to let her fellow dancers lose out on this opportunity. She would do everything in her power to prevent it.

"Rangiku…"

Momo just looked at her. What was she supposed to do? She didn't think she was all that ready to participate in such a wide known event. That was part of the reason for all the extra lessons she was taking lately. It was something that she thought only Aizen could help her with. But this was for a friend. Before it would've been only for herself.

Could her decision change because of new motivation?

She wondered how it would affect her performance though. There was always the saying that one should dance for themselves because if their heart wasn't in it, it would show. If she did it for a good cause, not necessarily because she wanted to, would she not do the best she could?

"Please! I'll never ask anything of you ever again! I can't just abandon them and make them wait for me. It isn't right! It'll set all of them back so far if they don't go now…"

It was hard to look away from the pleading look on Rangiku's face. Momo knew that she really cared about the team and maybe even more for her childhood friend. She wanted what was best for them, and Momo really admired that. There were so many good things about Rangiku. She wished that Toshiro would see it too.

She smiled softly at the resting woman. "I'll really think about it. I'll talk to Toshiro tomorrow. If he doesn't come up with anything better…I'll do it."

It was nice seeing Rangiku's face light up like that. It brought out the color of her eyes.

"Momo…Thank you so much!"

Much to Momo's disdain, she happened to be close enough for Rangiku to grab her wrist, pulling her closer. This ended in one of her bone-crushing hugs to the chest, and Momo found it hard to breathe. At least she was in a good mood.

"Uhh…Rangiku…c-can't..breathe!" She quickly let her go, spouting apologies.

"It's okay. It's nice to see you smile." Momo returned the one she was seeing, and turned to leave. "I've got to go now, but I'll see you soon, okay?" The lying woman nodded, and the smaller one departed.

She didn't know how she was supposed to get home that day, but her question was answered as fifteen minutes later, in strode one Toshiro Hitsugaya. He told her that he would be seeing her home once she was released. To say Rangiku was surprised was an understatement. Not only did he stay extra long yesterday, but he came back the next day to take her home. Her thoughts traveled back to her and Nanao's conversation, and she couldn't help but smile throughout the time she was there.

They got into discussing what to do about the Pentastep, but the weren't getting very far. They were about to continue, but someone came into her room unexpectedly and they both lost their trains of thought. It turned out to be Hanataro, who was as surprised to see them as they were to see him. Was he everywhere?

He turned a bit pale after seeing Toshiro, but when Rangiku questioned him about it after Hanataro had left, he revealed nothing. I mean, what are you supposed to tell her? That he tried hustling him for information on her? I think not.

As it was, he had brought her release papers. As soon as she signed them and had proper transportation, she was free to go. They did so after a few more minutes of conversation, and after a short time Rangiku found herself back in her lonely apartment. Toshiro had left her to her own devices only after making sure she could function on her own. The hospital had given her a pair of crutches to use, but she found it easier to hobble around on one.

It was going to be a long two months.

After he had gone, she sat down on her couch, setting a glass and a bottle of sake on the table in front of her. Opening the burning liquid, she poured slowly. She knew she probably shouldn't mix the medication they gave her with the alcohol, but that's why she had skipped the last time she was supposed to take it. She wasn't that dumb.

Unfortunately, because of the wait, her ankle hurt like hell, so she was in desperate need of a drink. Sake was better for pain anyway. It was cheaper at any rate.

She took a relaxing sip and glanced around from the empty chair on the other side of the table to the balcony doors. She was glad to be in a familiar setting, but at least there were people in the hospital.

"It's not much fun drinking alone." She said it to no one but the still air, knowing that there would be no answer.

--KG--

Toshiro slowly made his way up the familiar stairs towards the door of Rangiku's apartment. It had been a pain getting her up those the other day. The place had no elevator, being only three floors, so he practically had to carry her up. Crutches were not good on stairs.

He sighed inwardly. It hadn't been that bad really. It felt good having someone so close to him, like the needed him, depended on him. It had been a long time since he felt that way. He had been important and appreciated and maybe, just maybe, wanted. He liked to think that best. Maybe she wanted him there.

Well, he was going to find out today.

The soles of his shoes echoed throughout the empty hall, and he found himself wondering if there was any people here at all. It must be lonely here for her. He figured it probably wasn't different from his own empty apartment. He knew that the girls had all stopped in at one point or the other over the course of the last few days, but this was the first time he had visited since he brought her home from the Fourth. He laughed a bit, wondering what her reaction would be like. It wasn't often that he showed any type of sentiment.

Clearing the stairs, he thought of the other reason he was here.

_Three dancers, one light specialist, one music mixer, and Momo all sat with Toshiro in the practice room at The Thirteenth Step. They were all tense. All of them knew why they were here today. They had all seen Rangiku's condition before now. _

_Toshiro was usually the one to start things off, but right now he wasn't feeling up to much of anything. He was in a daze. Sure, he had kept a straight face for Rangiku at the hospital, but now he didn't care who saw him. He was in a bad mood. Deal with it. _

_The others watched him carefully. They knew he wasn't himself, and they knew exactly why he wasn't. It was all due to a certain strawberry-blonde. They may not have said anything, but they weren't stupid. There wasn't one of them that didn't notice that there was _something_ going on between the two since this whole thing started. Before even. None of them would mind if the two actually managed to get together. It would probably be better for both of them. They did seem a little empty, like they were missing a part of themselves. _

_Toshiro would say that he wasn't even that upset about the Pentastep. He wanted to go, true, but he cared more for Rangiku's health than anything. It couldn't get his mind off the fact that maybe it wasn't just a 'freak accident'. Still, it's not like _Hueco Mundo_ had any motivation to handicap them. They weren't even going. The idea still lingered there though, and that was one thing that he was not okay with. _

_He didn't exactly know why, but seeing her in pain sent his own form of torture through him. Okay, so maybe he knew why, but he wasn't willing to admit that just yet. Maybe it was denial. _

_He didn't like the fact that he could do nothing about her current state. There was nothing he could do to take it away, and he did nothing to prevent its happening. He knew that there probably wasn't anything to be done anyway, but he couldn't help thinking it. _

_So here he sat in his own rain cloud, miles away from the practice room, denying that he felt anything for the constant presence in his mind, otherwise known as Rangiku. _

_Momo didn't like just sitting around here. Someone was going to have to say something sooner or later, so she decided to take the initiative. "I'll take Rangiku's place for the Pentastep if you want me to."_

_Everyone looked up at her statement, even Toshiro. "What?" His question voiced the thoughts of everyone in the room._

"_She wanted me to. She didn't want the rest of you to wait behind for her, and I respect her decision to do what's best for the whole team. If you want me to dance in her place, I will."_

_Planting the seed is what usually leads to a follow through of a plan. She wanted to let them know that she was with them for Rangiku's sake, but only if they wanted to. They didn't have to. _Hueco Mundo _was not participating this time around because of all the new talent they hired, so she was in the clear there. _

_It was silent for a moment while everyone focused on Momo's words. Did they want to go on without her? _

_Toshiro stood up to voice his opinion. "It's up to you guys. I'm all for moving on if that's what you want to do."_

_They looked at him as he spoke. Momo saw that his eyes didn't have their usual luster to them. She could tell that he wasn't very happy with this outcome. Surely the two had talked about it before now, but that didn't make the choice any less hard. _

"_But what do you want to do, Toshiro?" _

_Isane spoke up, surprising Momo a bit. At least she wasn't the only one that noticed his changes just now._

_He sighed before looking over at her. "I don't want to go without Rangiku. The choice is not mine to make, however, so if the rest of you want to go, we'll still go."_

_Everyone in the room shared a knowing look. They were all thinking along the same lines. When Orihime spoke up, she spoke the feelings of everyone._

"_We're not going anywhere without Rangiku."_

He smiled a bit at the memory. He was glad that they stuck together like a team. Granted that could change if one of them got a better opportunity, but for now it was enough.

Approaching her door, he also thought about the short conversation he had with Momo before he left the club. She had noticed how troubled he looked, regardless of the collective decision they just made. She called him on it, like she had a habit of doing. The words stuck in his mind.

"_I feel useless, like there's nothing I can do."_

"_You're not useless. Maybe all she wants is someone to hold her through all this darkness she's in."_

"_I think… I might be in love with her."_

"…_I know."_

He wasn't really that shocked that Momo seemed to know what was on his mind. They did grow up together, after all. What shocked him more was that he actually admitted it out loud. It didn't scare him as much as he originally thought it would.

Her reaction though, that is what scared him.

Sighing out loud, he thought he better get this over with. Stopping in front of her door, he knocked three times, hearing shuffling on the other side. He knew it took her a minute to move around with that brace on her foot.

The door opened soon after, revealing a pair of shocked azure eyes widened in surprise. He allowed himself a small smirk at the sight. He might as well now because there was no telling what would happen later.

"Can I join you?"

To further emphasize his point, he pulled out a sake dish. From where, Rangiku couldn't tell you where. The very fact that he was here, asking to drink with her, blew her mind. She blindly nodded, wobbling aside to let him through before shutting the door and joining him in the living room.

She brought a bottle out, seeing how she hadn't started yet, and they proceeded to drink for a little while, only engaging in petty conversation. After a bit, Toshiro started with the information he needed to pass on.

"We had a talk about the Pentastep today." He saw her pause, so he thought he would let her add her input while she had the chance.

"So Momo's going to dance right? There's still enough time to teach her what we were planning, I mean-"

She was cut off by the slow shaking of his head. Puzzled, she lifted her brow. "Not exactly." He waited to make sure her every attention was on him before he spoke. "We're waiting for you."

If she could've, she would've shot up from her seat. "But why!? Why would you do that?" After all, it was Toshiro's career they were talking about too.

"Because…"

It was now or never. Take your chance.

He stood up, not taking his eyes off her as he drew closer. He made his way around the table to stand in front of her. Mentally taking a huge breath, he cupped her cheek in his right hand, kissing her deeply.

It took her all of three seconds to figure out what the heck was going on. Before she knew it, she was kissing back with as much pent up passion that he was showing. It was like a thousand Tangos put together, clearly better than anything she had previously felt before.

He broke away slowly, enjoying how the taste of her lingered. It was a bit like sake, but he didn't mind it much. He was just glad she didn't push him away. Softly, he spoke.

"Because you're worth it."

He allowed himself to smile then, as Rangiku did the same, reaching back up to pull him down, tangling her hands in his hair.

--KG--

The blue and red lights flashed throughout the club as "Forever" sounded through the speakers. The three dancers up on stage may be small in number, but that didn't make the show any less amazing. One thing that stood out on all of them though, was a pink scarf wrapped around their shoulders.

Rangiku had been surprised when she saw them. Orihime had told her that he was Toshiro's idea that they wear them for all their performances, much to his chagrin. His only reply was mumbling while looking away. If you looked fast enough though, you could see the very small tinge of red on his cheeks.

They weren't participating in the Pentastep, but like the rest, Toshiro explained to Rangiku that there was a similar event taking place in about six month's time. That should give them about four months to prepare for it once Rangiku had permission to dance again. If they were up to competing in something else other than the Pentastep, that was their chance. Naturally, nobody backed down. They would knock socks off wherever they went.

At the front of the stage, a table had been brought close so two people could see better. One, an intense white-haired man, making mental notes on what was good and needed work on the performance, never taking his eyes off the stage.

The other was a bandaged strawberry-blonde. An unopened jug of sake sat in front of her. She watched the show too, but her gaze was more towards the man sitting to the right of her. She knew the girls did a good job, so there wasn't really a need to be so critical. Besides, it was much more fun watching the emotions mix in his eyes, seeing how he didn't let them adorn his face.

It would seem that the two didn't have any link to each other, just two patrons enjoying the show, but, in order to falsify this claim, their hands sat joined on the top of the table. Rangiku knew Toshiro wasn't much for public affection, but he was the one who grabbed her hand first, so she wasn't complaining.

Instead, her free left hand moved towards the sake and glass in front of her.

"I wouldn't open that if I were you."

He didn't take his eyes off Isane, Kiyone, and Orihime, but she knew that he didn't really need to in order to know what she was doing. She rolled her eyes all the same, knowing that he couldn't see them.

"And why is that, _Shiro_?" He flinched visibly at her mocking tone, and she basked in it. She had taken a liking to Momo's old nickname for him, much to his disdain. Turning slightly towards her, he looked her in the eye, aquamarine meeting azure.

"Then you don't get anything for your foot later. You can't have both." He watched her pour the sake into the glass, her smiling all the while.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it if I do, hmm?"

So she thought she was clever, did she? Well two could play at that game. Smirking, he quickly used his right hand and snatched up the drink, downing it. She just stood there gaping.

"But!…You-"

"Rangiku." He cut her off, leaning over so he was inches away from her face. "You talk too much." With that, he closed the distance between them, effectively shutting her up for the time being.

Oh, there was no doubt about it. Rangiku could definitely get used to this.

-Fin


End file.
